Catherine Robinson

Catherine Robinson was born in Devon in 1959, and was brought up mainly in Berkshire. She studied Music & German at London University but decided the academic life wasn't for her, and left after a year.

A series of jobs at various BBC music libraries in London followed, the highlights of which were meeting and marrying her husband and writing a number of short stories which were broadcast on a little-known EFL programme for External Services (the service beloved of ex-pats, and based in Bush House). Buoyed up by this success, she left the BBC and wrote her first book, LIZZIE OLIVER. It was published in 1987, two years after moving to North Wales and just five weeks after the birth of her son.

Since then, Catherine has written a variety of stories for children from pre-school to teenagers. Her subject matter deals mainly with all kinds of relationships - with friends, parents, teachers, pets, and yes, boyfriends - and the changing nature of such relationships.

It's lust at first sight.

Gabriel is gorgeous. Friendly, funny, talented - and the No. 1 pin-up for every girl in town.

OK, so I'm just as smitten as the rest of them, but at least I can laugh about it, right? Unlike my mate Lisa, who seems to be taking it all very seriously...

There are crushes, and then there are obsessions...