Melbourne-based writer Beverley MacDonald was born and raised in regional Victoria. The daughter of a primary school teacher, MacDonald experienced a transient childhood as her father's profession determined that the family spent time in a variety of small towns. From an early age MacDonald displayed a passion for reading, a foundation which 'propelled her towards the seductive delights of storytelling and the written word'.
After the publication of her first (adult) novel, The Madigal (1995), MacDonald undertook a course of study and completed a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing. In addition to the young adult novel Small Sacrifices (2000), MacDonald has published primary school readers and three non-fiction titles: Big Bangs (2000), Written in Blood : A Brief History of Civilisation (with all the gory bits left in) (2003) and It's True! Crime Doesn't Pay (2004). Written for a readership of children and adolescents, MacDonald's non-fiction works are noted for the author's ability to interweave provocative facts and true stories in a style which is both entertaining and informative. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines.
