Alan Dapré (born 1965) studied Creative Arts (BA Hons) in Nottingham. He is a British writer who has successfully written for television, radio and publishers for over 20 years as well as writing he also produces art. "Alan Dapré has written 60 books for children & over 100 scripts for children’s TV. His plays have been on BBC Radio 4 and published for use in schools worldwide."I spent my early years in foster homes and care institutions. Most of the things I carried around on my travels were left behind at some point. In one children’s home, I carefully chained my 1970’s second-hand Chopper bike inside a dark coal shed. Then I was dispatched on yet another fostering. When I returned I discovered the front wheel was still chained up. Just the front wheel, mind. The rest had gone. It was never wise to leave things behind. It’s hard to settle down when life is so turbulent. It’s hard to have privacy, especially when you share a room with other children. I remember being given a metal torch for my seventh birthday and sneakily reading under the bedcovers. It made a change from staring at passing headlights out of a window. I’d gaze out and imagine myself being carried away to a real home where I would be surrounded by books and toys and love."