Whether speaking to a hall full of students or a cosy library crowd, Alida Whiteoak enjoys parading her literary wares to anyone who will listen. She talks about the inspirations behind her books, the messy joy of writing (very messy at times), and the importance of keeping your curiosity alive.

Drawing on her own creative journey, Alida invites young readers into the strange business of making stories, where ideas can come from unexpected places and getting the words right isn’t always the first order of business. Grammatically challenged writers are most welcome.