Lauren St John was born in December 1966 in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. She is a renowned author, best recognized for her children's novels, notably The White Giraffe and Dead Man's Cove, the latter of which won her the Blue Peter Book Award in 2011.

Lauren spent her childhood on a farm and game reserve in Africa, which served as the inspiration for her acclaimed memoir, Rainbow's End, and her award-winning White Giraffe series for children. Apart from her children's books, she has also authored several works for teenagers and adults, including the One Dollar Horse trilogy, The Glory, and her first adult novel, The Obituary Writer, published in 2014.

Before pursuing full-time writing, Lauren was a sports, music, and travel journalist for The Sunday Times and other publications. She is also an ardent conservationist, serving as an ambassador for the Born Free Foundation and a patron for the Mane Chance Animal Sanctuary.

Lauren founded Authors4Oceans in response to the plastic crisis affecting our seas, aiming to reduce plastic usage within the book industry. Her adventures and love for animals and nature deeply influence her writing, helping bring her characters and stories to life.

When not writing, she enjoys being a full-time valet to her four cats.