I’m the daughter of a psychiatrist and a nurse, and grew up with an interest in human behaviour. I spent my awkward teenage years in Highcliffe on the south coast of England. I loved reading and did a lot of hanging about in a small town where nothing much happened.  

 

After gaining a degree in English Literature & Publishing at Oxford Brooks University, I worked for a newspaper in Paris, and magazines in London, then became a secondary school librarian for six years. Now I am fulfilling my dream of writing and doing writing-related events full-time.

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My journey to publication took eight years, and picked up pace when I won The Woman’s Prize for Fiction First Chapter Award in 2013. My debut, Lying About Last Summer, was published in 2016. (It was actually the fifth young adult book I'd written!)

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I live near London and have three daughters. When I’m not writing, I like swimming, listening to podcasts and going out for coffee.