The Thames and Tide Club: The Secret City

Katya Balen is an award-winning author of books for children. Her debut novel, The Space We’re In, was highly commended for the Branford Boase Award, October, October won the Yoto Carnegie Medal and the UKLA Book Award, and The Light in Everything was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. When she’s not writing books, Katya likes to scroll through dog-rescue websites, bake and attempt to keep her house plants alive. She lives in London with her partner and their dog. Rachael Dean is a UK-based children’s book illustrator, who lives on the coast near Liverpool. She has created illustrations for middle-grade fiction as well as picture books, and was recently selected to illustrate Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s new titles. Rachael works traditionally and digitally, painting images that are vividly rich and bold, and she enjoys gathering inspiration from beautiful scenes of nature. In her spare time, she loves to play the piano, cook, and spend time at her local National Trust.