Kaye Umansky was born in Plymouth in Devon, England. She went to Teacher's Training College, after which she taught in London primary schools for twelve years, specializing in music and drama.

In her spare time, she sang and played keyboards with a semiprofessional soul band. She now writes full time and has written more than twenty-five books of fantasy, fiction, and poetry for children. She draws on traditional folktales and modern urban myths for her inspiration and has a sense of humor that is popular with children of all ages, from five to one hundred and five.

She lives in London with her family. Among her most popular books are her hilarious Pongwiffy titles. Pongwiffy, Pongwiffy and the Goblins' Revenge, and Pongwiffy and the Spell of the Year, which won the Nottinghamshire Book Award, are available from Minstrel Books.

Katy grew up in Brighton and was obsessed with drawing from a young age, spending many hours writing and illustrating her own stories, which her father (award-winning illustrator Chris Riddell) collected. Katy rediscovered her love for illustrating children's books after graduating with a BA Hons in Illustration and Animation from Manchester Metropolitan University.

She has worked on a variety of commissions including Pongwiffy by Kaye Umansky (Simon & Schuster), Midnight Feasting by A.F. Harrold (Bloomsbury) and Ever After at the Oxford Story Museum. She lives and works in Brighton.