Pam Todd
Born in Enniskillen, amongst the lakelands of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, Pam Todd spent much of her childhood in the 1970s in the coastal town of Bangor.
An early passion and flair for writing, though, was going to have to wait! Education at Glenlola Collegiate Grammar School took her in a scientific direction, culminating in a degree in Biological Sciences at Ulster University, and a PhD on the environmental management of peat bogs. The microscopic study of spiders, beetles and plant life caused Pam to declare that each of these was an “... amazing work of art”.
Moving to Scotland, Pam carried out further research – with the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) and The Heather Trust. Here, a number of her articles were published in scientific journals. A move towards writing and publishing? Yes, but not yet quite the creative writing she still had in mind...
Exchanging plant for human life, Pam moved to Novo Nordisk, a Danish-based multi-national pharmaceutical company specialising in chronic diseases. Whilst working with the company amongst seriously ill children, Pam was inspired to write her first children’s stories. These were based on the antics of her own basset hound called ‘Fred’. Backed by Novo Nordisk, three of these stories were published by Robinswood to help raise funds for the UK Haemophilia Society, supported by ghost writing by Guy Hallifax, and by the delightful illustrations of Becky Sands.
Still with Novo Nordisk, Pam travels widely in her work. But Fred – aka Bruno – is technically sound, and Skypes her whenever he can, when he has a break from walking Pam’s parents around the Ulster coasts. Occasionally, Pam takes trips back home, where ‘Fred’ provides her with material for further ‘Bruno’ stories, never leaving her side, acting as her great protector, and pouring out true, unconditional love!
Guy Hallifax and Becky Sands
Guy Hallifax, a member of the Writers Guild and author of numerous children's stories and TV animations, kindly offered a professional finishing touch to the first Bruno stories. Guy's work includes a number of the 'Bob the Builder' animations.
Becky Sands was double award-winner at 'New Designers 2005'. Becky and her husband, Wayne Lockwood, met at Lincoln University in the early 2000s. They now live and work in Lincoln, together running the renowned illustration and design studio, Ping Creative.