Anna and Barbara Fienberg

Anna Fienberg grew up in a house filled with books. Her mother was a teacher librarian who relished stories as much as chocolates.

"On Sunday mornings we'd all lie in bed with our books, lost in magical wardrobes, witches’ spells, genies’ magic… What we were going to read next was just as important in our family as what was for lunch!" says Anna.

Anna started writing stories when she was eight but never imagined becoming an author. She studied psychology, fascinated by the dark world of dreams. She gave up counselling after an unfortunate incident with an enraged man and a chair (he missed!), began writing and scored what she calls the best job in the world.

"Working for School Magazine was a treat," Anna says. "I couldn't believe you could get paid for sitting back comfortably in your chair, cappuccino in hand, reading over a thousand books a year. Heaven!"

Of course, as an editor she also had to write reviews and articles, stories and plays. One of those stories for School Magazine later became her first book.

"Tashi began as a conversation with my mother. She was telling me how, when she was a child, she used to tell whoppers — creative fibs, tall stories — and the kids would crowd around, dying to hear the latest tale. We began talking about a character like her — a character who told fantastic stories — and over many cups of tea we cooked up Tashi." — Anna Fienberg