Robert Swindells left school at the age of fifteen and joined the Royal Air Force at seventeen-and-a-half. After his discharge from the RAF he worked at a variety of jobs, then trained and worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Robert lives with his wife, Brenda, on the Yorkshire moors. He has written many books for young people, and won a number of awards including the prestigious Carnegie Medal, and multiple wins of the Red House Children's Book Award.