Lyn Gardner was born in London and now lives near Richmond Park with her partner and two daughters. A theatre critic for The Guardian, she goes to the theatre five or six nights a week, which should leave no time for writing books at all. But, apart from the Olivia books, she has also managed to write two other novels for children: Into the Woods and Out of the Woods. Her ambitions are to learn to tap dance and walk the high wire, but it may have to be a very low wire because she is a bit scared of heights!