Sam Hay was brought up in Scotland and trained as a journalist in Edinburgh. After working in newspapers, Sam moved to BBC Television in London where she was the Deputy Editor of a lunchtime consumer news programme for ten years. Sam still reckons working on daily live television is the perfect brain trainer for life!

Sam’s first book for children was published in 2005. Since then she has written more than forty-five books including the SPY PENGUINS series published by Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, the UNDEAD PETS series published by Stripes in the UK and Penguin in the US, the CAMP LIL’VILLS series published by Disney Hyperion, the SCREAMING SANDS trilogy published by Catnip, picture books STAR IN THE JAR and DO NOT WASH THIS BEAR and THE STAR MAKER’S APPRENTICE published by Farshore/HarperCollins, and BUMBLE THE BRAVE KITTEN published by Macmillan.

STAR IN THE JAR has been translated into ten languages, and was named Best Bedtime Book of 2018 by Parenting Magazine in the US. It has been adapted for stage by the Pied Piper Theatre Company, UK.

Sam was long-listed for the UKLA award for her 2009 novel BILLY ANGEL, published by A&C Black/Bloomsbury.

Her new Middle Grade novel QUESTERS ACADEMY is publishing with Firefly in 2026.   

Sam is a passionate advocate for improving literacy in schools. She regularly works with students, challenging, inspiring and supporting creative writing and a love of reading.