Philip Ardagh, whose very first Grubtown Tale won him the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, is author of over 100 books including the award-winning Eddie Dickens adventures, currently in over 30 languages. He wrote BBC radio's first truly interactive radio drama, collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney on his first children's book and is a 'regularly irregular' reviewer of children's books for the Guardian. Married with a son, he divides his time between Tunbridge Wells and Grubtown, where he cultivates his impressive beard. David Roberts was born in Liverpool. He always loved drawing from an early age and couldn't wait to escape high school and go to art college. There he developed a keen interest in pottery and fashion and went on to study a degree in fashion design at Manchester Metropolitan University. After university he worked as a milliner and began to get work as a fashion illustrator, but always felt his true calling was in children's book illustration.