Hocus Pocus Versus the Stinky Pong

Laura Milligan grew up (not down) in London, with her loony father to guide her on the way to adulthood. He gave her instructions on how to make nuns disappear on exploding chairs, and how to wizzle-pop without detection... At school, Laura daydreamed about toothless dragons, hairy fairies and owning her own sweet shop. She found these daydreams much more enjoyable than Mrs Hatchet's maths class. She came to Australia in 1986 and had two children, Jay and Georga, who taught her the art of patience. Through their eyes she has been able to revisit her own childhood and write her first book.

Mary-Anne Fahey is one of Australia's best-known comedy writers and performers. She is well known to Australian TV audiences for her creation of the Kylie Mole character and her starring role in The Comedy Company. She has also appeared in films and on the stage, recently in her one-woman adaptation of Morris Gleitzman's Water Wings.