Nicola Garrard has taught English in secondary schools for twenty-three years, including fifteen years at an Islington comprehensive. Her first novel, 29 LOCKS, was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and the Mslexia Children’s Novel competition, and longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2022 and the Berkshire Book Award. It was picked by Suzi Feay in the Financial Times as one of their ‘Best Books of 2021’.

'Crafted with care & attention to detail, to encourage tween & teenage readers to think about the human stories behind the refugee headlines...gritty & gripping...beautifully written' V'sViewfromtheBookshelves;'A story whose sweeping beam illuminates a major injustices of our times'Pete Kalu, author of The Silent Striker series;'One of the best piece of fiction to come out of the refugee crisis' Anthony McGowan, Carnegie Medal winner;'A brilliang follow-up to 29 Locks. A true page-turner. A thrilling read for both children and adults'Juliet West, author of Before the Fall and the Faithful;

Nicola Garrard has taught English in secondary schools for twenty-three years, including fifteen years at an Islington comprehensive. Her first novel, 29 LOCKS, was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize and the Mslexia Children’s Novel competition, and longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2022 and the Berkshire Book Award. It was picked by Suzi Feay in the Financial Times as one of their ‘Best Books of 2021’.

'Crafted with care & attention to detail, to encourage tween & teenage readers to think about the human stories behind the refugee headlines...gritty & gripping...beautifully written' V'sViewfromtheBookshelves;'A story whose sweeping beam illuminates a major injustices of our times'Pete Kalu, author of The Silent Striker series;'One of the best piece of fiction to come out of the refugee crisis' Anthony McGowan, Carnegie Medal winner;'A brilliang follow-up to 29 Locks. A true page-turner. A thrilling read for both children and adults'Juliet West, author of Before the Fall and the Faithful;