Sydney M. Paulden

I'm Sydney Maurice Paulden. When I was born, nearly 80 years ago, Sydney was exclusively a boy's name - but nowadays it's mostly chosen for girls.

I have had the wonderful experience of bringing up a total of nine children - five sons and a daughter of my own and a stepson and two stepdaughters.

The Yan books were first published in paperback and hardback in the 1970s. Yan (or more often Jan) is a very popular name in many countries of Europe and also in Asia and I wanted the books to be welcomed in all parts of the world. I was really fortunate to have them illustrated by David McKee, who has now built himself a worldwide reputation as an author and illustrator of children's books and television programmes.

The first book, Yan & the Gold Mountain Robbers, was serialised in five parts by BBC1 on the children's TV programme 'Jackanory'. The story was read at that time by Paul Jones, lead vocalist of the Manfred Mann pop group, one of the first British groups to top the US Billboard Hot 100 in the 1960s.

I have had about 12 business books published, but I started making up children's stories, because it meant that when my first three sons were in bed I could tell them bedtime stories without having the light on to read to them. Listening in the dark they fell asleep more quickly.

I sincerely hope that these new fairy tales still have something to offer to the parents and children of today.