Phyllida Shrimpton obtained a post graduate degree in Human Resource Management, a career choice which was almost as disastrous as her cooking. Thankfully her love of books and writing led her to a new career as an author. Her young adult novel Sunflowers in February won the Red Book Award for YA Fiction in 2019. Having lived in London, The Netherlands and the Cotswolds with her husband, daughter, giant Saint Bernard and grumpy old terrier, she now lives on the Essex Coast in a place she likes to describe as being where the river meets the sea.

The uplifting story of a man at the end of his life and a girl at the beginning of hers, who reach out across the generations to explore what it means to find happiness, and how to make your own when there's none to be had.

MARKET: Mike Gayle; Eva Woods; Marianne Cronin; Beth Morrey.

Heartwarming and uplifting, Every Shade of Happy will make you laugh, cry and want to call your grandfather. Perfect for fans of Marianne Cronin and Hazel Prior. Algernon is at the end of his life. His granddaughter is at the start of hers. But they have more in common than they think...Every day of Algernon's 97 years has been broken up into an ordered routine. That's how it's been since the war, and he's not about to change now.Until his 15-year-old granddaughter arrives on his doorstep, turning Algernon's black-and-white life upside down. Everything from Anna's clothes to the way she sits glued to her phone is strange to Algernon, and he's not sure he likes it.But as the weeks pass, Algernon is surprised to discover they have something in common after all - Anna is lonely, just like him. Can Algernon change the habits of a lifetime to bring the colour back into Anna's world?Praise for Every Shade of Happy: 'Heartwarming and uplifting. It will make you miss your grandfather and want to hug your grandchild.' Adele Parks for Platinum 'A slice of reading heaven... Just as wonderful and gorgeous as The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot and The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman.' LoveReading 'With relatable characters, this is an uplifting, emotive story.' Candis