Teresa Heapy

Teresa Heapy is an award-winning children’s book author. She has written nine picture books including Loved to Bits (about a battered teddy bear who was literally loved to bits), The Marvellous Moon Map (about friendship and paper boats) and the Very Little series (featuring brave, determined toddler fairy tale heroines). Very Little Red Riding Hood won Best Picture Book in the Oxfordshire book awards and the Coventry Inspiration book awards. Her picture books have been translated into thirteen languages. She has also written over 80 educational fiction and non-fiction titles.

After studying English at Hull University, Teresa worked in-house as a commissioning editor in educational publishing for Heinemann and Oxford University Press, working with a wide variety of authors and illustrators on top-selling schemes such as Oxford Reading Tree. She now edits on a freelance basis and has a reputation for a friendly approach combined with rigorous detail and a desire to make every child want to turn the page. She has also worked as a Lector for the RLF, working with the mental health charity Restore in a community allotment.

Teresa loves doing workshops in schools, libraries, bookshops and festivals. Her emphasis is always that writing can be done by anyone, anywhere — you just need to start.

Away from writing, Teresa sings with her band, The Hot Crumpets, and performs in plays and community pantomimes. She lives in Oxford.