Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson, the 2011-2013 Children’s Laureate, is the outrageously talented, prize-winning author of the world’s most-loved picture books including The Gruffalo and What the Ladybird Heard. The Gruffalo, is now a children’s classic and publishing phenomenon; celebrating 15 years in 2014, selling over 3 million copies worldwide.Christine De Luca grew up in Walls, Shetland, but has long been resident in Edinburgh. She writes in both English and Shetlandic, her native tongue. She has published six collections of poetry and one novel, and has been the recipient of many awards and prizes for her work. She is one of the founders of Hansel Co-operative Press which was established to promote literary and artistic work in Shetland and Orkney. In 2008 She has translated Roald Dahl’s novel George’s Marvellous Medicine into Shetlandic as Dodie’s Phenomenal Pheesic. She currently holds the post of Edinburgh’s Makar (poet laureate).