Susan Birt was born in Cheltenham and has a Master's degree in French Literature and History. For most of her working life she has taught in a variety of schools and colleges in the UK, from Cornwall to Orkney. Her many interests include literature, history, art, the environment and browsing in second-hand bookshops. This is her first novel and she is currently working on a second and a personal memoir. She lives in a converted Croft next to the sea on a remote island with her family and two cats.