spent most of her adult life working as a registered nurse while pursuing her secret dream of becoming a writer.

Her young adult novels The Anatomy of Wings and The Midnight Dress have been published internationally to much acclaim. Her books for younger readers include the much loved classic Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, as well as A Most Magical Girl and the multi-award winning Lenny’s Book of Everything.

Her new children’s novel Dragon Skin is published by Allen & Unwin in Australia and Pushkin Press in the UK.

Karen’s new junior fiction series Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters is out now.