Joyce Lankester Brisley was born in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England. She is most noted for her Milly-Molly-Mandy series, which were first printed in 1925 by the Christian Science Monitor. She both wrote and illustrated her books. Joyce Lankester Brisley has two sisters who were also illustrators Nina.K.Brisley and Ethel C Brisley all three sisters illustrated postcards for Alfred Vivian Mansell with Nina and Ethel being quite prolific. Brisley died in 1978 at the age of 82.
Brisley's books were first printed in 1925, and a collection appeared in book form in 1928. She wrote and illustrated six collections of Milly-Molly-Mandy.