Colin Hawkins grew up in Blackpool, studying graphic design and illustration at Blackpool School of Art. Colin met his wife, Jacqui Hawkins, when they were both in their teens, and they married in 1968. Colin and Jacqui Hawkins' first book, Witches, was published in 1981, and the couple have since gone on to create more than 100 successful and much-loved books for children.