David Duff

David Duff grew up at the end of a long lane in a small farming parish in Northern Ireland and now lives in London. He spent much of his childhood listening to the stories of old men and women who sat on rickety chairs and never let the truth get in the way of a good tale. 
Growing up, his parents were self-sufficient and lived off the land. But instead of farming, they chose to plant trees – thousands of them – sycamore and beech, ash and willow. This forest became a perfect playground to wander barefoot and get lost in nature. 
His love of writing would come later. First he worked his way through a degree in Mechanical Engineering in Edinburgh University, then a stint as a carpenter, and a spot of vagabonding, before transitioning to a career as a creative in advertising. 
Whether using a hammer and nails, or a collection of words, the connective thread was always the same: the joy of creating things. That instinct, combined with time spent working with children – at summer camps, as a mentor at Ministry of Stories (a creative writing lab in East London), and working as a filmmaker internationally with Save the Children – eventually found its natural home in picture books. He can think of no more rewarding an audience.
His stories tend to find their way to the same places – relationships, the natural world, and the quietly absurd. His debut children’s book, The Day Moon and Earth Had an Argument, illustrated by Noemi Vola, was translated into ten languages. I Will Eat You in the End, illustrated by Marianna Coppo, has been translated into fourteen languages.