Steve Voake grew up in Midsomer Norton. After leaving school he sold ice-creams in the south of France for a while. He obtained a BA (Hons) in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool, then qualified as a teacher at the University of Exeter.

He spent eight years as head teacher of Kilmersdon Primary School, near Midsomer Norton, Somerset. In his spare time he was writing his first children's book, The Dreamwalker's Child. In October 2003, while still working as a primary school head teacher, the BBC reported that he was "being hailed as the next JK Rowling" after the book gained interest from Hollywood and was "the subject of a furious bidding war between three UK publishers" and had "seen interest from book firms in Italy, Japan, Germany and the US" .

In addition, film companies Dreamworks, Warner Brothers, Fox Broadcasting Company and Miramax all asked to see the book

The BBC, The Times and The Independent then reported in 2003 that he agreed a £91,000 deal with Faber and Faber for the UK rights to his book , . In 2005, the book was published in the UK as well as Italy, Germany, Greece and Japan, .

In 2007 he collaborated with his cousin Charlotte Voake, the Nestle Smarties Book Prize-winning author of Pizza Kittens and Ginger , to write Insect Detective. .

He is currently also Senior Lecturer in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.

He lives with his wife and two children in Westbury-sub-Mendip, Somerset.

UK national newspapers

The Times has published many favourable articles featuring Steve Voake or his books and frequently including them in their holiday specials of recommended books at Christmas or the summer holidays , ,, . Their critic, the novelist Amanda Craig in particular has recommended them , ,