Lissa Evans still remembers writing her first joke, aged 7 (it involved a hippo). She never lost her interest in funny lines, and, following a medical degree, she changed careers to become a comedy producer for radio and TV. Her children's novels have been shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award, Carnegie Medal, and Branford Boase Award, and her first - Small Change for Stuart - was an international bestseller. Her books for adults include Their Finest Hour and a Half, which was longlisted for the Baileys Prize and made into a recent film ( Their Finest, starring Bill Nighy), Old Baggage and V for Victory.