Jemma Spark was brought up on the west coast of Cornwall, riding her beloved pony, Spin, across the moors. Her parents were not horsey and there were no opportunities for her compete in gymkhanas or shows. After school, she moved up the Scottish Highlands to work as a nanny, before going down to London to study sociology, focusing on the post-war years in Britain. After she completed her degree she travelled the world living in South America, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, landing in Berlin. In recent years, she has been living in London, writing the Jill books and tutoring private students. Inspired by Jill's childhood in Chatton, she has just moved to Oxfordshire to live in a cottage in a leafy lane and is continuing to work on her Jill series.