Theresa Breslin grew up in a large family - she was one of six children - in a small Scottish town in central Scotland. Her parents surrounded the children with books and made sure that they joined the library at a young age - and used it.

Theresa remembers her childhood as being wild and carefree, with lots of time to play outdoors in the long summer evenings with her brother and sisters and many cousins. At school she was a quiet pupil, though as a teenager she became quite rebellious, especially against her parents.

Theresa's parents wanted her to become a teacher but she decided to train as a librarian instead because she loved reading so much.

She never planned to be a writer but, when a nearby steel mill was closed with devastating effects on the local community, Theresa was inspired to write a story about what it felt like from a child's point of view. Simon's Challenge won the Kathleen Fidler Award and Theresa Breslin began her life as a writer. Since then she has written over 20 books and won the Carnegie Medal for Whispers in the Graveyard.