Biographical Sketch

Elizabeth Laird was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but is of Scottish descent and and was educated at Croydon High School, south London. She spent a year teaching in Malaysia, before studying languages at Bristol and Edinburgh universities. She has spent much of her life living and working abroad, including long spells in Ethiopia and India. She lives in Richmond with her husband, David McDowall, a writer on Middle Eastern Affairs.

Her first published work of fiction was 'The Miracle Child', an Ethiopian legend. She has published books for all ages and has won the following Awards: the Children's Book Award, Smarties Young Judges Award, and the Lancashire Book Award.

The ACHUKA Special Guest Feature (April 1999) coincides with a new direction in Laird's writing--an adventure series from Macmillan, 'Wild Things'. See the interview for further comment.