Joe Layburn worked for fifteen years as a journalist and television reporter with BBC, ITV and Channel 4, often working on programmes focusing on children, and has been nominated for the Royal Television Society's home current affairs award. In 2002 he switched to teaching, and started working in East End schools. It was here that he heard the little-known story of South Hallsville School, Canning Town where, during the Blitz, around 500 people fled after their own homes were destroyed - and the school itself was demolished by a bomb. This was the inspiration for his novel, Ghostscape -- Joe's first book for children. Follow Joe Layburn's blog by clicking here John's illustrative background is in visual storytelling. He has worked as a storyboard artist for film and animation companies, as a comic strip artist for Marvel comics, on workshops for BBC Blast and BBC RaW programmes, in schools on visual storytelling projects and illustrated various educational publications including books on Drama and History. His work has appeared in various countries including America, Australia, France and Japan. He lives in a quiet, rural village in Suffolk.