Tilly is back in the limelight!

Award-winning author Adele Geras spent much of her childhood moving from place to place. To date Adele has written over 100 books for children, including the bestselling The Ballet Class for Orchard and the highly acclaimed Troy (Scholastic) which was shortlisted for The Whitbread Prize. A great deal of her poetry has been published in various magazines and anthologies. Adele lives in Manchester with her husband. Shelagh McNicholas grew up in Liverpool. Apart from a short time spent teaching life drawing, Shelagh has always worked as an illustrator. The Ballet Class was Shelagh's first picture book for Orchard. Her realistic and endearing illustrations perfectly complement the story of Tilly and her ambitions to become a top ballerina. Shelagh is passionate about drawing and is happiest with her sketchbook and pencils. Her favourite subject is her daughter and it was her sketches of Molly as a ballerina that inspired her illustrations for 'The Ballet Class'. Shelagh lives in Surrey with her daughter.