A.F. Harrold

A.F. Harrold is an English poet, performer, and children’s author known for comic language, unusual friendships, and stories that let absurd premises carry emotional weight. Greta Zargo and the Death Robots from Outer Space, published by Bloomsbury in 2017, introduces a young reporter searching for a major story in the quiet town of Upper Lowerbridge. While Greta investigates local mysteries, mechanical visitors approach Earth with destructive intentions, and minor details become crucial to the planet’s survival. Joe Todd-Stanton illustrated the novel, giving its newspaper pieces, machines, and escalating incidents a strong visual identity. The book opens the Greta Zargo sequence and was followed by Greta Zargo and the Amoeba Monsters from the Middle of the Earth. Harrold’s other children’s books include The Imaginary and The Song from Somewhere Else, alongside poetry collections. Greta Zargo and the Death Robots from Outer Space displays his lighter adventure mode, pairing wordplay and narrative digressions with a reporter whose curiosity and persistence make her effective.