Polly Alakija lives in Ibadan, Nigeria, with her husband, four children, three dogs, three goats (not quite as mischievous as the one in this story), a giant tortoise and thirteen horses. She completed an art foundation course at Oxford Polytechnic before training as a Montessori teacher. She then taught art to primary school children and art workshops in London before moving to Nigeria in 1990. She now combines her family life with freelance work as a painter, illustrator, and interior designer.