Anna Branford was born on the Isle of Man, but spent her childhood in Sudan, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Once, when she was very itchy with the chicken pox, her dad read her the Very Hungry Caterpillar thirty times in a row. Anna lectures in Sociology at Victoria University, Australia, and spends her evenings writing children's stories, kept company by a furry black cat called Florence. She also makes dolls using recycled fabric and materials. Sam Wilson graduated from Kingston University in 1999. The Violet Mackerel books are the first titles she has illustrated for children. She says, It has been such fun drawing Violet, she is a gorgeous character with such an adventurous spirit. Sam lives in the Staffordshire countryside.
