Vivian French began writing books for children after a career as an actor, playwright, and storyteller. Her first books for children were published in 1990, and she has since written more than 250 books. She is an editorial consultant, reviewer and anthologist, and a tutor in the illustration department at Edinburgh College of Art. She also runs Picture Hooks, a project/mentoring scheme for graduate Scottish illustrators. Vivian is among the most borrowed authors in UK libraries - her books are regularly borrowed more than half a million times a year.