Anna Branford was born in 1975 on the Isle of Man and spent her childhood in Sudan, Papua New Guinea and Australia. She has spent most of her adult life in Melbourne, studying, nannying, working in crèches and making dolls. Her first two books, Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot and Violet Mackerel's Remarkable Recovery will be published by Walker Books in Australia in 2011 and shall be followed by other Violet Mackerel adventures. Walker Books in the UK will publish the Violet Mackerel adventures in late 2011. Anna's Aussie Bite, Sophie's Salon, will be published by Penguin Books in August 2010.