The Dragonfly Pool

Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna in 1925 and moved to England with her father when the Nazis came into power. Ibbotson wrote more than twenty books for children and young adults, many of which garnered nominations for major awards for children's literature in the UK, including the Nestle Smarties Book Prize and the Whitbread Prize. Eva's critically acclaimed Journey to the River Sea won the Smarties Gold Medal in 2001. Set in the Amazon, it was written in honour of her deceased husband Alan, a former naturalist. Imaginative and humorous, Eva's books often convey her love of nature, in particular the Austrian countryside, which is evident in works such as The Star Of Kazan and A Song For Summer. Eva passed away at her home in Newcastle on October 20th 2010. Her final book, One Dog and His Boy, was published in May 2011. Tracy-Ann Oberman has had a wide and varied career in Film, Television, Theatre and Radio. Most widely recognised for her portrayal of Chrissy Watts in EastEnders, she has also just been seen as Yvonne Hartman in Dr Who and Amy in BBC1's Sorted as well as Big Train, Bob Martin, Kiss Me Kate and numerous television dramas. Theatre credits include the RSC, The National Theatre, London's West End and Chichester. She has also appeared in over 600 Radio 4 drama's, sketch shows and book readings.