Long biographical note
Emily Benet was born in London to a Welsh mother and Spanish father. Inspired by Brian Jacques’ ‘Redwall’ series, she spent much of her childhood writing stories about talking field mice. Later she discovered point horror books and co-wrote ‘Evil Eyes’ with a school friend which she self-published in her exercise book.
She moved to Barcelona at 13 where she won her first significant prize for writing and was published in a short story collection. After gaining her A-levels and Spanish Baccalaureate she accepted a place on the highly acclaimed English and Creative Writing Bachelor course at East Anglia, where all the writers wore stripy tights. Unfortunately she didn’t like stripy tights, neither was she enamored by Norfolk’s flat landscape and windy weather.
She returned to South East London determined to write a novel. She tried out different jobs; she taught English in a language school, made a terrible secretary in an estate agents and temped in a catering firm. In the end she went to work in her Mum’s chandelier shop. It was in the shop, amid the chaos of crystal beads and confusing customers that she began her Shop Girl Blog.
Emily’s short stories have won awards, been selected for readings and are published online. She has a Diploma in Journalism but knows her first love will always be fiction.
© 2009
Salt Publishing Limited 
