Kereen Getten

Born in Jamaica, Kereen Getten enjoyed an idyllic Caribbean childhood where she would climb fruit trees in the family garden and eat plentiful amounts of mango, guinep and pear. Her children’s novels draw heavily from these childhood experiences, with her Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-nominated debut When Life Gives You Mangoes (2020) taking the form of a mystery novel as Clara struggles to remember what happened to her during an island storm the previous year. Getten’s second novel If You Read This (2022) revolves around a poignant treasure hunt that Brie’s late mother has set up around her island home, whilst The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder (2023) introduces the Di Island Crew who investigate local mysteries - when they are not getting too distracted.