Catherine O'Neill conceived the idea for this book from personal experience following the death of a close friend. She currently works as a speech and language therapist, toy and educational equipment designer and children's book author. Lisa Keane worked as a film journalist at Time Out magazine before going on to work on documentary films on subjects as diverse as eye care in Kenya and the changes in women's lives during the miner's strike in the UK. Since her two children were born, she has worked as an artist and writer.