Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna in 1925 and moved to England with her father when the Nazis came to power. She wrote more than 20 books for children and young adults, many of which garnered nominations for major awards for children's literature in the UK, including the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and the Whitbread Prize. Imaginative and humorous, Eva's books often convey her love of nature, in particular the Austrian countryside, which is evident in works such as The Star of Kazan and A Song for Summer. Eva passed away at her home in 2010. Her final book, One Boy and His Dog, was published in 2011. Dr Laura Wood is an academic and writer. She is the winner of the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize for New Children's Writing and the author of the 'Poppy Pym' series.