Susanna Bailey, who also goes by the name Sue, was raised in the picturesque landscape of Northern England, where she was surrounded by silvery beaches and expansive purple moorland. From a young age, Sue found solace and companionship in books, and her mother's creativity and storytelling greatly influenced her. Sue's mother was a skilled weaver of tales and encouraged her to illustrate her ideas and make up her own stories. This early exposure to storytelling sparked a lifelong passion for creating and sharing stories.
As an adult, Sue has come to understand the therapeutic power of stories and nature in helping children and adults cope with difficult emotions. She has seen firsthand how stories and animals can provide comfort and assistance to those who are feeling confused, sad, or scared. This realization prompted Sue to pursue a career in writing, and she enrolled in a creative writing program at the university.
In 2016, Sue's hard work and dedication paid off when she was awarded the Bath Spa University Undergraduate Prize for Writing for Young People. The following year, she graduated with distinction from the MA Writing for Young People program at Bath Spa. Her MA novel, Snow Foal, was shortlisted for the 2017 Joan Aiken Future Classics Prize and received an honorable mention in the United Agents/Bath Spa University Prize for the same year.
Today, Sue balances her time between lecturing part-time in Creative Writing and continuing to write her own stories. Her experiences have given her a deep appreciation for the healing power of stories and nature, and she strives to bring this sense of comfort and understanding to her readers through her writing.