Cathy MacPhail was born and brought up in Greenock, Scotland, where she still lives. Before becoming a children’s author, she wrote short stories for magazines, comedy programmes for radio and two romantic novels. Cathy was inspired to write her first children’s book after her daughter was bullied at school.
Cathy writes spooky thrillers for younger readers as well as teen novels and has the unique ability to get to the heart of serious, topical issues through the stories of her feisty characters.
Cathy has won the Royal Mail Book Award twice, along with lots of other awards and has been called the Scottish Jacqueline Wilson. One of Cathy’s greatest fears would be to meet another version of herself, similar to the young girl in her bestselling novel Another Me. She is a big fan of Doctor Who and would love to write a scary monster episode for the series.
Cathy is the Patron of Reading at Falkirk High, in Scotland. She is also an Ambassador for Children 1st, formally known as the RSSPCC.
Her latest novel, Stars Shall Be Bright is inspired by the true events of the UK’s worst rail disaster and is a poignant and moving story of one small family caught up in the consequences of World War One.
‘Young adult fiction is going from strength to strength, led by authors like Cathy MacPhail’ - The Bookseller
