Emma Clayton

• Birthplace — United Kingdom • Occupation — Writer • Language — English

The daughter of a Royal Air Force officer, Emma Clayton moved frequently as a child until her father's death when she was seven years old. In her late teens, she trained as a field archaeologist, spent a brief time working as a freelance illustrator, then returned to education in her mid-twenties, studying film and screenwriting. She wrote her first novel when she was 26, following the birth of her daughter, then wrote The Roar several years later while studying for a Higher National Diploma in Visual Communications. Clayton's first book, a middle grade novel called The Roar, was published by Chicken House in July 2008 in the United Kingdom and April 2009 in the United States. In February 2012, Chicken House published the sequel, The Whisper, in both the United Kingdom and United States. Both Roar and Whisper follow separated twins Mika and Ellie, who use a government scheme to find one another on a walled planet full of lies.