Meg Gatland-Veness is a powerful emerging voice for young Australians. Born in a tiny, country town called Milton, she grew up on the Central Coast before going to the University of Newcastle to study a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Drama, as well as a Bachelor of Secondary Teaching. Writing stories for as long as she can remember and reading them for even longer, Meg always carries a notebook with her in case inspiration strikes or she encounters a beautiful new word.

Equally heartfelt is her passion for championing local youths and promoting important conversations about themes like love, sexuality, bullying, suicide, grief and trauma. Inspired not only by her career as a high school teacher in both Australia and London, but also her own personal school experiences, Meg wrote I Had Such Friends, a poignant and important YA debut about self-discovery, grief and the tragic power of silence in rural Australia.

Her writing urges readers to notice the gaps in another 's words and question the parts we play in somebody else 's story. Meg is a high school Drama teacher living on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Other than writing novels, she channels her unending creativity into choreographing and directing musicals, writing poetry, singing and ballet, as well as playing tennis, volleyball and soccer.