I live in Cambridge but go to London (and Venice) quite a lot. I live with my two daughters, Lauren (17) and Luki (13) who help hugely with my books — they read them and tell me what’s wrong with them before the publishers get a chance to. We have lots of pets: a tortoise called tor2 (currently on winter go-slow), two mauve chickens called Kitamura and Dido, a black and gold cockrel called Cockalarum (after the cockrel in Orlando the Marmalade Cat) and a blue lobster called Marcel (after Proust, a dead French guy). There’s also a varying population of gerbils, hamsters, fish, headlice and other nice pets.
I spend most of my time writing books for children, both for schools-and-libraries and trade lists. I also write for adults. From September 2006 until July 2008 I was a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University, which involved helping students with their writing. This website is intended primarily for children who read my books, their parents and teachers, and publishers of children’s books. There is a short section on books for grown-ups. This website is intended primarily for children who read my books, their parents and teachers, and publishers of children’s books.
When not writing, I hang out in cafés, look at Renaissance art, practise my saxophone and go to Italy.
If you need my postal address or phone number, or if you want to ask a question, please email me.
I don’t really have a CV (resume if you’re American) because I’ve not applied for any jobs. This is a quick history showing how I got to be a children’s writer.
If you feel as I do about the past you can bypass all this stuff and skip to the present.
Ages ago
I went to Yateley School in Hampshire where I did the usual bunch of O-levels (that’s Stone Age GCSEs) and 4 A-levels (English, Biology, Maths, Chemistry) and some quaint thing called ‘Use of English’ which was a bizarre English grammar exam needed for Oxbridge entrance in those days.
Then in 1978 I went to Trinity College, Cambridge where I did a BA and then a PhD in English. Which gets us to ...
20 to 30
I finished my PhD in 1984. It’s published by Boydell and Brewer (Hunting in Middle English Literature, 1300-1500).
While finishing my PhD and for a while afterwards, I worked a few hours a week for McDonnell Douglas writing guides and training materials for architectural software. The rest of the time I taught freelance for Cambridge University (mostly medieval and early Renaissance English and French literature). I left McDonnell Douglas and had a short-term fellowship at York University where I taught much the same stuff as at Cambridge, and also taught on the MA Programme in Medieval Studies. Then I came back to Cambridge and did freelance journalism and technical writing and consultancy. This was mostly for educational computing outfits like Acorn Computers, Iota, Xemplar, and the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET, which became Becta).
I also worked for a balloon in this period. Named Emerald, she lived in my office and went through several incarnations during which she managed our publishing company. We produced esoteric educational software for Acorn computers, including the first UK-sourced hypertext system, the first character-based Chinese text editor and the first Egyptian hieroglyph editor. But Emerald kept bursting and I got bored and so we called it a day. And so started the one and only serious decade...
30 to 40
I started working with the National Extension College (nec), an organisation I’ve continued to work with a lot. I’ve written a large number of courses for them, many on aspects of computing and technology but also on literature and some business topics. I’ve managed small and large publishing projects for them, both paper-based and electronic, including designing and managing most of their largest electronic publishing ventures.
During this time I also wrote a lot of training and open learning materials for other colleges and publishers including:
I wrote a series of books for Dabs Press on various aspects of computer use, some of which won awards. I did a lot of consultancy on education and IT for both nec and learndirect, and on information and interface design for Acorn Computers and other techy companies.
I did quite a bit of corporate training, too – mostly of teachers who needed to use and teach IT, and of print production experts who were having to start using digital methods for the first time. I did a course in traditional and historical typesetting during my PhD and am probably about the only person who can use every printing and typesetting technology from 16th century presses to Quark! I also wrote and edited corporate publicity material and newsletters in this period.
At the same time I carried on doing an ever-decreasing amount of work on medieval literature, publishing with
That was in another country, and besides, the wench is dead.
For the last six years I’ve been writing almost entirely for children. My titles are split fairly equally between trade and schools-and-libraries lists for a range of publishers. I write mostly on new technology/science, history, ethics and current culture. There’s a good sprinkling of frivolous topics like fashion, spying and sleepovers and, most recently, fiction. The more serious books draw extensively on my varied background, but the most useful bit of background was developing research skills doing my PhD thesis. I use the web, of course, but also Cambridge University Library, the British Library, the Wellcome Institute Library, the Science Museum Library at Imperial College and Addenbrooke’s Hospital Library in Cambrige.
I publish with Heinemann, Franklin Watts, Ladybird, Dorling Kindersley, Quarto, Chrysalis Children’s Books, Facts on File, Marshall Cavendish. I have published adult books with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Dent, Duckworths, Pearson and a number of smaller publishers.
There’s a full list of books for children.
I’m a member of the NUJ, the Society of Authors and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
My agent is Tina Betts at Andrew Mann.
Here’s a list of children’s books that are already in print . If you want to know about my writing for adults, please email me.
Evans, Soldier Boy, 2008
Hi-lo fiction; ghost story
Arcturus: 1001 Shocking Science Facts, 2008
Amazing, surprising and gross science factoids; ages 7+
Igloo, The Mystery of the Mixed-up Disco
Series fiction (under the name Carol Lawrence); ages 7+
Evans, Muffin, 2008
Fiction: chapter book; ages 5+
Crabtree, Alien Abduction, 2008
Hi-lo book relating alleged alien abductions; mixes narrative and factual
information. Ages 9–11, reading age 7+
Crabtree, Vampire Castle, 2008
Hi-lo book about vampires; mixes narrative and factual information. Ages 9–11,
reading age 7+
Crabtree, Zombies on the Loose, 2008
Hi-lo book about real zombie legends (not movie zombies); mixes narrative
and factual information. Ages 9–11, reading age 7+
Franklin Watts, Is Our Climate Changing? 2008
Climate change — what causes it and what we can do about it; ages 10+
Heinemann, Final Frontiers: Outer Space, 2007
Space exploration — what’s out there? Ages 11+
Chelsea Clubhouse, Costume Around the World: China, 2007
Historical and contemporary costume in China; US only
World Books, Wildfires, 2007 (US only)
The fires that used to be called forest fires... KS2+
Gareth Stevens Publishing, Solar Power, 2007
Could solar power be the answer to the world’s energy problems? Probably...
ages 11+ (reluctant readers)
York Press: York Notes Advanced: Spies, 2007
A-level study guide to Michael Frayn’s novel Spies.
Do A-level students count as children?
World Books: The Nervous System, 2007 (US only)
Straight schools and libraries book about the human nervous system. Ages 9–11
Arcturus: 1001 Horrible Facts, 2006
Lots of things you really didn’t want to know. Sadly, it’s practically
impossible to buy this book, so you aren’t going to know ... Try discount
book stores; ages 7+
York Press: York Notes Advanced: Atonement, 2006
A-level study guide to Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement.
‘Bloody good’ — Ian McEwan
Evans Brothers: Voices: Race Hate, 2006
An analysis of race hate and why it occurs, featuring the voices of racists
and their victims; KS3 citizenship
Evans Brothers: Voices: Drugs on the Street, 2006
A survey of drug abuse and the international drugs trade, featuring the voices
of drug users and those involved in rehabilitation and in enforcement of drugs-related
law; KS3 citizenship
Franklin Watts: Earthquake!, 2006
What it says on the packet... a book about earthquakes; KS2+
Franklin Watts: Hurricane!, 2006
Topical follow-up to Katrina; KS2+
Franklin Watts: Tsunami!, 2006
See if you can guess...; KS2+
Franklin Watts: Machines in Medicine, 2006
How technology is used in medicine, from x-rays to robotic limbs; KS 3 science
Dorling Kindersley: Experience: Volcano, 2006
How volcanoes form, where they are found, what they do — and what happens
when they erupt. Stunning visuals and a large fold-out poster; ages 8+
Heinemann: Cutting Edge: Medicine and Cutting
Edge: Computers, 2006
The latest developments in medicine and IT; KS 3 science
Ladybird: Disney Cuties Fun with Friends and Disney
Cuties Best Friends, forthcoming 2005
A book of activities to do with friends and a book about being good friends,
ages 8+
Chrysalis Children’s Books (Belitha imprint): Cities
Through Time series: London, Paris, New York and
Los Angeles, forthcoming 2005
A series of four books on how cities have changed in the last 100 years; KS
2 geography and citizenship
Marshall-Cavendish: Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages,
around 20 articles, forthcoming 2005 (US only)
A 12-volume encyclopedia on all things medieval, from 500–1500 all around
the world
Quarto: Earthquakes and Volcanoes, forthcoming
2005
Pop-up book on the science of earthquakes and volcanoes
Watts: Just the Facts: Telecommunications and
Just the Facts: Computers, forthcoming 2005
Books for 7-11 and reluctant readers on, well, telecommunications and computers
Quarto/QED: Let’s Start ICT series:
Discovering Things, Making Charts, Making Pictures, Starting with Words, Using
Instructions, Finding Facts, forthcoming 2005
Six books covering the KS1 ICT curriculum for home/school use
Facts on File: A History of Costume: The Eighteenth Century,
forthcoming 2005 (US only)
A detailed history of costume around the world, 1700-1830; ages 12–17
Chrysalis Children’s Books: Train your Parents
and Train your Teacher, forthcoming 2005
Light-hearted guides to getting your own way with figures of authority
Heinemann: Just the Facts: Capital Punishment,
2005
KS3 citizenship title on the death penalty around the world.
Quarto/QED: Head Start series: Working
with Words, What If..., Communicate Online, Fact Factory, Picture This, Take
Control, 2004
Six books covering the KS2 ICT curriculum for home/school use
Ladybird: Angelina Ballerina Activity Sticker Book, 2004
Big Fish: Wicked Wallets - Spies (book clubs,
2002; general sales, 2003)
Pack of four books on topics related to spying
Chrysalis Children’s Books: Tomorrow’s Science
series: Genetic Engineering, Medicine Today, Artificial
Intelligence, Internet Technologies, 2003
KS3 citizenship - a series of four provocative books on ethics and cutting
edge science and technology. Artifical Intelligence
was long-listed for the Aventis Science Prize, 2004
Big Fish (Chrysalis imprint): Funky Files - Sleepovers
Club, 2003
Pack of four books on sleepovers theme
Big Fish: Secret ZigaZaga, forthcoming? disappeared
without trace?
Pack of six books on glamour/fashion/personal topics
Big Fish: Wallace and Gromit ZigaZaga, forthcoming
2004/5?
Pack of six books with Wallace and Gromit theming, on animation, animals,
inventions, making things, plus organiser and contacts book
Belitha (Chrysalis imprint): Shooting Stars series:
Communications Crazy, Techno Tricks, Fact Attack, Media
Magic, 2003
Home market coverage of the ICT curriculum, KS2 - they combine factual info,
a short story, quizzes, projects and trivia
Big Fish: Wallace's World of Mystery, 2002
Novelty format book of unsolved mysteries with Wallace and Gromit theming.
Daily Mail Christmas book selection of 2002; Radio
4 Front Row children’s Christmas book selection
of 2002
Big Fish: ZigaZaga: Know it all, 2002
Recent history for 8-11 year-olds - cultural changes and landmark events 1995-2002
Big Fish: ZigaZaga, 2001, co-author
Pack of six books in a special novelty format
Helicon/Hodder Headline: arts and biography articles for online encyclopaedia
Usborne: The Usborne Illustrated Dictionary, 2001
Technology consultant
Belitha: QWERTY (online educational magazine)
Technology correspondent, 2000
Articles on various techonology subjects for a now-defunct e-zine for 7-11-year-olds
Big Fish: Whizz Kids series: Word
Power, Email Wizard, Web
Smart, Messaging Mania, Cool
Games, Free Stuff, Weird
Webs, Music Mania, 2001
The first four are ‘how to’ books: how to use MS Word, use email,
use the web properly, have fun with text messages. The next four are annotated
Internet directories with a lot of extra material - on finding games, getting
stuff for free, finding the odd and bizarre (safely) and everything about
music. I also built the website for the series: visit it at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/anne.rooney/whizzkids/
Big Fish: Chilling Out, 2000
Leisure use of the Internet — what to do and how to do it
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