Valerie Grove

From an Edwardian childhood in Manchester, Dodie Smith became one of the most successful female dramatists of her generation with her play 'Dear Octopus' in 1938, and then her children's book 'The 101 Dalmations' made her a household name when Disney filmed it. This biography conjures up not only England in the 20s and 30s, and a Golden Age of British theatre, but also the life of an ambitious, talented, yet vulnerable woman.

Laurie Lee was loved and admired by many, personally and through his writings, but few people really knew him. In this captivating biography the author succeeds in discovering the man himself.

Kaye Webb, a journalist with no publishing experience, burst into the world of children's books in 1961 and changed the face of children's publishing forever. Her child-like enthusiasm and shrewd business mind led her to become Puffin's most successful editor and the genius behind the Puffin Club.