I was born on the edge of London, just after the Second World War, and I have one brother and one sister. I grew up in a house with two cats and a big garden and I learnt to read when I was about five.

After that, I didn't do much except read and wander round the garden until I left school and went off to be a volunteer for nine months, before I went to university. That was a very important part of my life, and I learned a lot of things.

At university in Oxford, I met and married my husband Martin and in due course we had four children. While our first two children were young, I had several part-time jobs, including working for a village baker and being assistant to an MP. Mostly I was looking after the children, though, and trying to write.

I finally finished a book in 1974, but it took me another five years to get anything published. My first books came out in 1979 and since then I've had at least one book published every year. My book 'Wolf' won the Carnegie Medal for 1990, and 'The Great Elephant Chase' won the Whitbread Award and the Smarties Prize. 'My Demon Headmaster' series of books has been serialised by BBC TV.

When I'm not writing, I like playing the piano and orienteering.

Gillian is currently working on an exciting new trilogy - the first part - The Dark Ground - publishes October 2003.

Biography supplied by Gillian Cross - Last updated June 2003