Once Upon a Time in the North

Philip Pullman was born in Norwich and educated in England, Zimbabwe, Australia and Wales. He studied English at Exeter College, Oxford.

His first children's book, Count Karlstein, was published in 1982. To date, he has published thirty-three books, read by children and adults alike. His most famous work is the His Dark Materials trilogy. These books have been honoured by several prizes including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children's Book Prize, and (for The Amber Spyglass) the Whitbread Book of the Year Award - the first time that prize had been given to a children's book. Pullman has received numerous other awards, including the Eleanor Farjeon Award and the Astrid Lindgren Award. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year's Honours List for Services to Literature.

Tony Mitton is an award-winning poet, whose gently mesmerising, often humorous poetry is irresistible to children and adults alike. He is an extremely versatile author, writing story poems and shorter verse with skill and wit. Tony does many author events, school visits and poetry readings and always leaves his audience entranced. He lives in Cambridge with his wife and two children.

John Lawrence was born in Hastings, studied at Hastings School of Art, followed by military service in West Africa, and more study at the Central School of Arts and Crafts (now Central St. Martin's). Since then he has worked as an illustrator and a lecturer at Brighton School of Art, Camberwell School of Art and Cambridge School of Art. John has illustrated over 150 books and is one of the leading wood-block engraving illustrators in the world.