Permanent 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.

Debra Gillett is an English actor who has appeared in television, film and on the stage. She is perhaps best known for her role as Daisy in Bridget Jones’s Baby, and has also appeared in films Notes on a Scandal, The Witches, Riff Raff and television series Call the Midwife and Doctor Who, amongst many others. Debra has also performed in numerous productions with both the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.