Hilary Cooper is Professor Emeritus of History and Pedagogy at the University of Cumbria. After many years teaching in London primary schools and undertaking her doctoral research on child development using data collected as a class teacher, she lectured in education at Goldsmiths’ College, London University. In 1993 she became Director of Professional Studies in the Department of Education at Lancaster University, then Reader, and later Professor of Education at St Martin’s College, now the University of Cumbria. She has published widely, in numerous languages; the underlying theme of all her books is ‘teaching creatively’. She has been a keynote speaker at, and continues to organise international conferences.