Francois Place

Richard Platt

Author of Castle Diary, Egyptian Diary and Pirate Diary, which won the Blue Peter Best Book with Facts Award.,About me I grew up in on the outskirts of London, England. My school was a mile away, and I walked there and back on my own. This gave me the chance to muck around and get into all kinds of mud and trouble each morning and evening. I was always rubbish at sports, and the last to be picked for any team. At high school I thought up clever ways to avoid shivering on an icy football pitch, but always seemed to get caught and punished anyway. My dad was an engineer in the construction industry, and I thought I wanted to be one too. However, when I went to college I discovered that I couldn't do the math. There were about ten computers in the whole country: we had to do long calculations using mechanical calculators that had handles you turned. I changed my course and studied graphic design and photography instead. When I graduated I soon found that what I did best of all was writing. I had a knack for explaining complicated facts in a way that everyone could understand. I started writing about photography: first magazine articles, then books. I got a job editing children's books, then went on to write them. About my work I've written more than 80 books, mostly information books for children. My first book for Candlewick was CASTLE DIARY. Writing it terrified me, because I had never written stories before. I had a wonderful editor who gave me great advice and helped me improve the book. When Chris Riddell and David Parkins drew the pictures for this book, and for the three more diary books that followed, they managed to capture the characters of all the people in the stories exactly as I'd imagined them. I love writing because people pay me to find out all this fascinating stuff about strange, wacky and obscure subjects. I spend far more time than I should trying to find amazing facts that bring a subject to life. I trawl through books at home (I've got 3000) and in dusty libraries. Several things you didn't know about me - I keep chickens in my back garden - I always tell very bad jokes first thing in the morning - I'm a closet geek, and enjoy programming computers - I can make string out of stinging nettles - I love cooking, especially pizza, and chocolate ice-cream. Website www.richardplatt.co.uk

Daniel Postgate

Illustrator of the spine-ticklingly scary picture book The Hairy Toe.

Debbie Powell

John Prater

A picture book writer and illustrator, you may see John driving around in his vintage car, a 1970s Chevrolet!

Alison Prince

The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize-winning author of The Sherwood Hero, How's Business, The Summerhouse and Jacoby's Game.

April Pulley Sayre

Author of the counting-by-feet book One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab.,For husband-and-wife team April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre, working and playing together is natural--both are naturalists who explore and write about the natural world. The pair leads ecotours and has traveled extensively, going to countries as far-flung as Madagascar, The Galapagos Islands, and Ecuador. Jeff Sayre is an accomplished ecologist specializing in native plants and birds, and April Pulley Sayre is an award-winning author of more than 40 natural history books for children. "I try to communicate the excitement I feel about nature and my fascination with what scientists do," says April Pulley Sayre of her work. "Sharing wonder, and often humor, is what my work is all about." Together, April Pulley and Jeff Sayre are co-authors of a delightful book for children, ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB: A COUNTING BY FEET BOOK. The idea for this mirthful counting book came to the ecology-minded pair when they were brainstorming and laughing together--something they say they love to do often. In ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB, a bunch of fun-loving crabs, lounging dogs, gleeful insects, and bewildered-looking snails obligingly offer their feet for counting in a number of silly, surprising combinations from one to one hundred. After reading this book, it's not surprising to hear April Pulley Sayre note, "Each year, I seem to have a new favorite animal. My list of 'favorite animals' is getting ridiculously long!" April Pulley and Jeff Sayre have produced science videos and a nature documentary on wetlands, served as on-camera hosts for a pilot series on birdwatching, and co-authored a critically acclaimed book about hummingbirds for adults. In addition, the two speak at schools, botanical gardens, zoos, and nature festivals. When asked for advice for young writers, April Pulley Sayre suggests, "Spend time outdoors. . . . Like me, you'll probably be amazed by what you find living close to home." Jeff Sayre and April Pulley Sayre live in Indiana.

Sue Purkiss

Author of the young novel The Willow Man.

Niroot Puttapipat

A prodigiously talented new illustrator, born in Thailand.