When I was 18 I had some ambition to become a writer (sadly for me it turns out I don't have Jo's talent) and I remember she was very supportive. She asked me to research some background stories in Melton Mowbray where a book was being set and she did actually use one (something about a hot air balloon). Shortly after that I went to stay with Jo, Ken Jonathan and Philip for a couple of weeks, a big trip for me at the time. They all made me very welcome and I have great memories of the trip. Jo showed me her manuscript with the editors notes and it was a privilege to get an insight into her process.

I have very distant memories of visiting them in Nottingham but for most of my life Jo was in Canada, so it was lovely for us when they came back to the UK and we could see more of them. When I think of Jo I'll remember a warm, gentle, generous and calm person and reading other tributes this seems to be universal. I was also very aware that she was a person with a brilliant and genuinely original imagination and its great that she found a way of expressing that through her work.