Gillian Philip was born in Glasgow and has been writing all her life, though she has tried getting proper jobs as a barmaid, theare usherette, record store assistant, radio presenter, typesetter, and political assistant to a parliamentary candidate. While living in Barbados, where her steadiest job was as a singer in an Irish bar, she took up writing professionally. Her debut novel Bad Faith a murderously sinister dystopian satire met with critical acclaim and is a favourite with book groups. She was Carnegie Medal-nominated and Royal Mail Award-shortlisted for her young adult novel Crossing The Line. Her most recent young adult novel is The Opposite of Amber. In 2001 she moved back to Scotland, and now lives in Morayshire with husband Ian, twins Lucy and Jamie, Cluny the Labrador, Milo the Papillon, Buffy the Slayer Hamster, psycho cats The Ghost and The Darkness, and several nervous fish.