Catherine Johnson is a born-and-bred Londoner who no longer lives in London but by the sea. She studied film at Central Saint Martins School of Art; the fantastic time she had there made up for school, which was horrible. She has written many books for young readers, and her recent novel, Sawbones , published by Walker Books, won the Young Quills Award for historical fiction and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Her other books include Brave New Girl (Frances Lincoln Children's Books), and A Nest of Vipers , published by Random House Children's Publishers UK. Catherine has also written for film, notably the critically acclaimed Bullet Boy , and TV, including Holby City . She lives with her husband and two geriatric pets: a deluded cat and an ancient tortoise. She enjoys baking cakes and knitting. She was taught how to drive (horses, not cars) by an ex-brewery dray driver in Spitalfields.