Paul was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and grew up in County Durham. This left him with an accent that people find trustworthy, surveys have confirmed. It also left him with an allegiance to Newcastle United football club. Newcastle won their last major trophy months before he was born. In bleak moments, he wonders if this is his fault. After a degree in Southampton he worked in a variety of different jobs with mixed success. He's been a labourer for a roofer (rubbish), a labourer for a builder (he was keen, but rubbish), a waiter (really rubbish) and a barman (merely adequate). He's sold double glazing (rubbish), toys (not bad), and garden furniture (all right at that). Somehow he never got sacked-it must have been that trustworthy accent. Since then he's been a children's books editor (not bad at that, actually) and now he writes them for what may loosely be described as a living. Paul lives with his wife and two children in West Sussex.