Alan Durant
Alan Durant was born in the family sitting room. At infant school Alan was sent to the corner and made to stay there for too long. At primary school his headmistress was wildly unpredictable and scary; the headmaster (her husband) was strict but told great stories and had a case of magical prisms.
Alan lived for football. His two older brothers and younger sister acted out their own version of Henny Penny ritualistically, his older brother, who Alan looked up to, being Foxy Breastplate.
Alan read a lot, but got interested in writing at secondary school. It kept him going during teenage years and he then surprised everyone (with the possible exception of his mum) by going to Oxford University to study English.
Alan lived in Paris for a couple of years, and has also worked at The Spastics Society (now Scope) and at Walker Books as a copywriter. He became a full-time writer around three and a half years ago and loves it. Though sometimes it is very scary. He still loves football. And writing. And more than anything, his family.