Alan Dapré

Alan Dapré is an experienced children's author and playwright with over 60 traditionally published books.

His new 'Porridge the Tartan Cat' series (Floris Books) is for young readers aged 6 to 9, and offers up a cat's-eye view of an adventurous fun-loving family, who each have a surprising secret.

The six books feature engaging characters, such as Porridge, Gadget Grandad, Groovy Gran and Fergus Mc Fungus. Plus the twins, Isla and Ross.

After 8 years writing for television, Alan is back to writing children's stories. A former Deputy Headteacher, he is dedicated to sparking children's imaginations.

"I wanted to write about two energetic, resourceful and empowered children. Go-getters, who deal head on with anything that life (or a baddy) throws at them. They had to be equal, but different, so I made them non-identical twins.

Ross is hands-on and sporty. Isla thinks on her feet and is up for any challenge.

My work is full of fun and comedy and I love to surprise my readers too. The key is to listen to your audience and to reflect their fun, energy and spontaneity."

Alan has also written extensively for education publishers such as Ginn, Heinemann & Pearson. His published plays are read & performed in schools worldwide. Alan's work spans a range of reading levels, from young Primary age readers to teenagers.

His website is www.alandapre.com