Dame Penelope Margaret Lively, born on March 17, 1933, is a distinguished British writer renowned for her fiction for both children and adults. She has achieved significant acclaim in her career, having been awarded both the esteemed Booker Prize for her novel Moon Tiger in 1987 and the Carnegie Medal for British children's books for The Ghost of Thomas Kempe in 1973.

Lively's literary journey began with her debut novel, The Road to Lichfield, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1977. She received another nomination in 1984 for According to Mark. Her bibliography boasts a variety of prize-winning novels and short-story collections that cater to both adult and young audiences. Among her notable works are Going Back, Judgement Day, Next to Nature, Art, Perfect Happiness, Passing On, City of the Mind, Cleopatra’s Sister, Heat Wave, and Beyond the Blue Mountains, a collection of short stories.

In addition to her novels and stories, Lively has penned Oleander, Jacaranda, a memoir of her childhood days in Egypt, and Spiderweb; her autobiographical work, A House Unlocked; and The Photograph. Her work Making It Up is a fascinating exploration of the theme of 'what if', while Consequences and Family Album further showcase her skillful storytelling and insightful exploration of human experiences.