Liz is a retired university education lecturer. She has been active in promoting the development of emotional intelligence in children and has contributed to government think tanks to promote citizenship in schools. She has also, in her work as Chair of Wearside Women in Need, seen the devastating consequences of abuse and domestic violence. Because of this, she is dedicated to producing literature for children that will help them to have a voice and empower them to refuse to be victims of any kind of abuse or ill treatment.As a grandparent she has a concern about the lack of children's literature that encourages discussion, language development and an empathy with others.