Beverley Naidoo was born in South Africa but has lived in the UK for many years. She became involved in resistance to apartheid when she was a student, and started writing when she was in exile in England. Her first children's book, the award-winning JOURNEY TO JO'BURG was banned in SA until 1991. In 2000 she won the Carnegie Medal and the Nestle Smarties Silver Medal with THE OTHER SIDE OF TRUTH.