Forever Rose

Hilary McKay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire where she grew up the eldest of four girls in a family devoted to books. She writes novels for children, which are popular for their lively sense of humour, and often involve eccentric families. Her first book, The Exiles, about a family called the Conroys who have an unusual family life, was published in 1991. It won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and was followed by further books in the series.

Sophie Aldred was born in Greenwich, England and brought up in Blackheath, South East London. She studied drama at university and spent time with children’s drama companies in small productions before she became Ace in the immensely popular Doctor Who in 1987. Aldred has had a varied and busy television career in children’s programming, as a voiceover artist for television advertisements and providing voices for animated series such as Bob the Builder, Sergeant Stripes and Dennis and Gnasher.