Véronique Tadjo is a writer, academic, artist and author of books for young people. Born in Paris, she grew up in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) where she attended local schools. She began writing and illustrating books for children in 1988 with her first book Lord of the Dance. Véronique Tadjo has lived in Paris, Lagos, Mexico City, Nairobi and London. After 14 years in South Africa where she was Professor and head of French and Francophone Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, she now lives in London