Oh, Armadillo!

Ellie Irving was born in Bristol, but raised in a hamlet on the outskirts of Southend-on-Sea, by a family of avid readers. So avid, in fact, her mum enrolled her in the local library before she’d even emerged from the womb, which was awkward for all concerned. When she was seven, Ellie’s passion for writing stories flourished when her parents bought her a Petite Super International typewriter for Christmas, and there was no stopping her. After studying a 4 year broadcasting degree at the University of Leeds, Ellie realised there were too few home makeover shows in the world, and worked on a number of DIY and Garden programmes for UK Style. Ellie returned to studying and graduated from an MA in Screenwriting course at the London College of Communication in 2008.

Rob Starling began doodling at school and hasn't stopped since. A former teacher, he now enjoys running workshops, talks, and writing sessions. He thinks that kids have got a pretty good idea of how things ought to be, and adults have a lot to learn from them. When he’s not drawing, he can be found doing daddy duties, trying to bake a sponge that doesn’t look like a pancake, or popping the kettle on. He was shortlisted for The Waterstones Children's Book Prize in 2018 for his debut book, Fergal is Fuming. He lives and works in Norwich, UK.