Ann Kramer was born and educated in London but left school as soon as possible to work and travel; much later, as a ‘mature’ student, she gained an honours degree in history from Sussex University. Her first job in publishing was as an editorial researcher, checking scripts for BBC quiz programmes. Subsequently she went freelance and worked as an editor with various publishing companies, including Diagram Visual Information, Dorling Kindersley, where she was the senior editor for DK’s Children’s Illustrated Encyclopedia, and Gaia. Increasingly, however, she concentrated on writing. For many years she wrote illustrated non-fiction books for children and young people, but now writes mainly for adults.