Authors Tom Moorhouse and Gill Lewis talk about wild animals, wild places and the inspiration behind their writing. Moorhouse describes how to transform knowledge about wild animals into believable characters in fast-paced adventure stories, and Lewis discusses the relationship between people and animals within her books. They explain why stories involving animals are special, and what you need to think about when writing your own.

Moorhouse’s debut novel, The River Singers, is nominated for the Carnegie Medal and longlisted for the UKLA award, and follows the adventures of a family of water voles as they battle to escape a new and terrible enemy. Its sequel, The Rising, sees the voles facing their most dangerous enemy of all: the Great River herself.

Lewis’s books include Scarlet Ibis and Sky Hawk and have been translated into more than 25 languages, winning many nominations and awards, including the Red House Book Award, the Carnegie Medal and the Green Earth Book Award. Her books draw on her own experiences and explore the relationship between people and the natural world.

Age 9+