I grew up in the North East of England in the 1980’s, drawing castles and dragons, reading comics, and playing videogames. I knew I wanted to be an author from five years old, but I didn’t have a good idea for a story until 2006 when I visited Castle Coch in Wales. As I looked at a carving of The Fates over one of the fireplaces, an idea for a story crept into my head and became my first book, The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle – the story of Alfie Bloom, the boy who inherited a castle and a whole lot of trouble.

My favourite summers were spent with my brothers and cousins on my granny’s farm in Galway. Granny always had stories about strange happenings on the farm, and she kept all of my kisses in a tin box on top of her dresser to trade with the Aos Si who lived in the fairy fort near the entrance to the farm. I also loved visiting my English gran despite her bone-crushing hugs! She used to take me ‘on the rounds’ to check on all of the elderly people who lived around her and had a very cheeky sense of humour. These two wonderful women are why grannies feature in most of my books.

I studied illustration at university and my first job was as a video-game artist on car racing games. I spent sixteen years as a university lecturer teaching students how to make videogames, and I enjoy running and hosting games and animation festivals because I get to meet some very talented, creative people.

My favourite author is Terry Pratchett. I especially love Nation, Dodger, Nightwatch, and all of his books featuring witches, so I couldn’t believe my luck when I was asked to write Tiffany Aching’s Guide to being a Witch with Rhianna Pratchett! My other favourite things are biscuit-tea, cats, Worcester sauce crisps, singing silly songs about whatever I’m doing, and watching 80’s movies with my husband and daughter under a heated blanket.