Anna Fienberg is the author of many popular and award-winning books for children of all ages, including the Tashi series, Figaro and Rumba, Louis Beside Himself, Number 8 and Horrendo's Curse, which was an Honour Book in the 2003 CBCA awards. Anna began writing stories when she was only eight years old. She says: 'I've always had a passion for words. I used to collect them, like some people collect stamps. Certain words gave me a special, billionaire feeling, and when uttered, seemed to have a magical effect.' She also gets her ideas from her dreams, people she meets and snatches of overheard conversation. Anna was once Editor of School Magazine, where she read over a thousand books a year. She wrote plays and stories for the magazine, and then began writing her own stories. She has written picture books, short stories, junior novels, and fiction for young adults.