Bio: Michael Powell Michael grew up in North Wales. After studying English Language and Literature at Manchester University he spent three years at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, training to be an actor, where he worked with a host of actors including Dustin Hoffman, Sir John Gielgud and Richard Attenborough. Then he spent five years as an internationally unknown professional actor and musical director. His professional roles included leads in Stephen Berkoff's Metamorphosis, Peter Pan, The Wasps and Antigone. He also created the role of the father in the premiere of acclaimed British poet John Agard's Beauty and Babel the Beast. He composed the score and was the musical director for Medea and the rock-and-roll version of The Assembly Women at The Shaw Theatre. He has also starred in the film, Tell Me No Lies. His other jobs have included: working in a paint factory in Duisburg, Germany, corporate roleplay advisor, care in the community coordinator for Hammersmith Hospital, auxiliary geriatric nurse, Wall Street Journal, British Telecom, Swiss Reinsurance, Lombard Tricity Finance and British Rail. In 1996 Michael gave up acting and entered publishing. He was the assistant editor at BCA for two years, then moved to Somerset and spent two whole years as Managing Editor at Element Children Books. In 2001 Michael became a freelance writer and editor. He has already established a reputation for writing hilarious and quirky books for both children and adults. Michael lives in Somerset with his wife and two young children (a boy aged 6 and girl aged 3). Books by this author The Accidental Gardener The Little Book of Dum-Ping