MO O'HARA

According to the bio on her website: "Originally from America, I moved to London because I wanted to live abroad but spoke no foreign languages. After a brief and unsuccessful stint as a serving wench at the Tower of London I found work as an actress and comedy performer. I’ve performed at Edinburgh and London comedy festivals. Years ago, when I was touring around the UK as a storyteller I discovered that kids liked, laughed at and didn’t fall asleep when I performed stuff that I wrote myself. I was hooked on writing and performing for kids. Some of my favourite quotes from kids about my storytelling sessions are:

“I guess you were a bit better than the rabbits with big heads that were here last week.”

“Can I rewind you and watch you again after lunch?”

And “How did you know me to put me in your story?”

I still live in London, still speak no foreign languages (although I am attempting to learn Italian to wake up my brain a bit) and I still have a sneaking suspicion that the rabbits with the big heads were really better than me but the kid was just being nice.

I wrote lots of stories for kids that nobody published but then I wrote “My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish” and Macmillan said that they were hooked. (couldn’t help the fish pun there, sorry). That series has six books and is now published in 11 different languages. Since then I’ve written over 20 books! You can find them all here on my website.

Now, I get to tour all over the world talking about books and still making kids laugh.

I love to travel, to write, to read, to take long walks, to run a bit but not too much and to spend time with my husband, my kids and my two cats."