Alison Robertson was born in 1958 and grew up in Napier with three brothers and a sister. She has a Diploma in Journalism from Wellington Polytechnic and a Certificate in Writing and a Diploma in Applied Arts from Whitireia Community Polytech.

Alison worked as a radio sports journalist for many years before beginning to write fiction. Her first novel, Knocked for Six (2001) won the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award and the Esther Glen Medal. For her second novel, Finding Isabella, Alison drew heavily on her own family history, discovering how her family came to be in New Zealand.

Alison is married with two children and lives in Hamilton where she has worked in media relations and freelance writing for a number of organisations. She is currently working at the Waikato Management School as a home tutor for new immigrants. She is still finding time to write and is an active member of the Waikato Children’s Literature Association.