Stephanie worked on TV documentaries about celebrated artists and writers for many years without ever thinking for a moment she’d write herself. She was a production assistant and researcher with ambitions to direct. Her BBC film ’10 x 10: Applause’ about why people clap, was on Radio 4’s Pick of The Week, screened at Bristol’s Watershed Arts Centre and repeated 4 times but her career was short-lived. Although she loved making films she hated telling people what to do. The TV arts documentary was also in rapid decline and she became, like most of her friends and colleagues, out of work.

Stephanie started writing at an adult education class, the crèche for her baby being the main attraction. She revelled in the freedom of being able to create without having to do a budget or stand on the corner of cold streets at 5 in the morning having just magiced up parking spaces and hot coffees for grumpy film crews. After winning several prizes for her short stories she began work on her first novel, BABY ON BOARD, which was published by Piatkus in 2003 under the pen name Stephanie Zia and was followed by KEEPING MUM in 2004. As well as two novels, she has published two non-fiction books and her work has appeared in The Sunday Times, Woman’s Own and interiors magazines. She is a regular contributor to The Space Solves section of The Guardian’s Saturday magazine where she is their cleaning and stains expert.

She is 49, or at least that’s what she says.