Jenny Nimmo lives in a converted watermill in Wales. Her husband, David, is a painter and print-maker, and all three of her children speak Welsh fluently. For as long as she can remember, Jenny has loved books. She feels passionately that every child should have access to as many books as they want. Jenny enjoys writing about magic because it is inexplicable and unpredictable, and anything can happen. In 1986 her book, The Snow Spider, won the Smarties Grand Prix, and in 1987 it was awarded the Tir na n-Og by the Welsh Arts Council. The Rinaldi Ring was chosen as Guardian Book of the Week and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and received a commendation. Gwen Millward has always been fascinated by animals and insects. When she was very small her parents would often find her at the bottom of the garden, covered in mud and studying the tiny creatures that lived under stones. Gwen studied illustration at Edinburgh University and has since gone on to win the Booktrust Early Years Award in the Pre-school category for The Bog Baby (written by Jeanne Willis). Gwen is the daughter of Jenny Nimmo and artist David Millward.
