The Monstrous Child

Bestselling British children's author Francesca Simon started writing stories from the age of eight. She has now written more than 60 books, including her first Horrid Henry book in 1994. Horrid Henry has gone on to conquer the globe; his adventures have been published in 27 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. In 2009, in one of the proudest moments of her career, Simon was awarded a Gold Blue Peter badge. An opera written with composer Gavin Higgins, based on Simon's novel The Monstrous Child, premiered at the Royal Opera House in 2019. Her cantata The Faerie Bride, also written with Gavin Higgins, premiered at the Aldeburgh Music Festival in 2022. Simon was appointed MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours. She is a passionate ambassador for children’s literacy, a 500 Words judge, and is a former trustee of the World Book Day charity. In 2025 she published her first novel for adults, Salka: Lady of the Lake.

Eleanor Tomlinson is an English-born actor and singer, most notably known for her role as Demelza Poldark in Poldark. She has also worked in film, featuring in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Jack the Giant Slayer and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.