Elen Caldecott recently graduated with an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. At the end of the course she was highly commended in the PFD Prize for Most Promising Writer for Young People. Before becoming a writer, she was an archaeologist, a nurse, a theatre usher and a museum security guard. It was while working at the museum that Elen realised there is a way to steal anything if you think about it hard enough. Elen either had to become a master thief, or create some characters to do it for her - and so her debut novel, How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant, was born. Kirsty Jenkins was also shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Prize Elen lives in Bristol with her husband, Simon, and, one day - when they live in a bigger flat - they will be joined by a dog.