Tim Walker was born in Nottingham and lives with his wife and their black and white cat in rural Kent. He turned to writing following a career as a graphic designer and is the author of three previous children's novels - Shipley Manor, The Flying Fizzler and Rise of the Rattler. When not in his garden shed either writing or staring at the horses in the field beyond, he can be found teaching academic skills at the University of Kent - where he is a former Royal Literary Fund Fellow - visiting one of his three grown-up children or huffing and puffing around his local tennis court.