David Baddiel was born in 1964 in Troy, New York, but grew up and lives in London. He is a comedian, television writer, columnist and author of three previous novels, of which the most recent is The Secret Purposes. Steven Lenton has been the winner of the Waterstones Picture Book of the Month and the Times Children's Book of the Week. He also illustrates fiction for David Baddiel, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and is the Sainsbury's Prize-winning illustrator of The Nothing to See Here Hotel series.