Mike Smith
Mike graduated with an MA in Children's Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art in 2011. In 2010 he won the Macmillan Prize for children's book illustration, having been a runner-up the year before.
His picture book The Hundred Decker Bus was published by Macmillan in May 2013. He has also produced strips for The Phoenix comic, including the long-running Planet of the Shapes.
Mike is happiest writing and drawing stories where humour grows from character and where the serious spills over into the ridiculous.
Kjartan Poskitt
Kjartan Poskitt is a British author and TV presenter, best known for writing the Murderous Maths children's series of books.
Chris Wormell
Chris Wormell is one of Britain’s most celebrated author-illustrators and print makers. Known for his instantly recognisable style, Chris is the acclaimed illustrator of the iconic covers for Philip Pullman's La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust – Volume One and the award-winning H is for Hawk, as well as the creator of a host of picture books, including the bestselling George and the Dragonand One Smart Fish. He has won a number of literary awards including the Bologna Ragazza Prize, a Nestle Smarties Award and a Booktrust Early Years Award. His artwork has also featured in advertising campaigns for Jaguar, Marks and Spencer, The Natural History Museum, the Royal Opera House and Adnams beer amongst others.
Ben Jeapes
Ben Jeapes is the author of seven science fiction and fantasy novels, and the co-author of several children's and YA adventure series. He is also a veteran of IT publishing: formerly Managing Editor of The Electronic Library, Online & CD Rom Review, Expert Systems and a contributor to Information World Review.
He lives in Abingdon, in England.
Joe Brady
Joe Brady is the deputy editor of the ground-breaking, critically acclaimed The Phoenix story comic. He is the writer of comic stories Izzy Newton: Kid Billionaire and No Country, as well as Claire: Justice Ninja. He’s from California and is currently living in Oxford.
Kate Ashwin
Kate Ashwin has drawn and written over 1000 pages of webcomics since 2002, and contributed artwork to The Phoenix story comic throughout her career. She has a devoted fan following: her current Victorian-era comic Widdershins is on its sixth Kickstarter-funded volume. Kate lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and their two cats.
James Stayte
James is an illustrator and comic creator, whose creation GOREBRAH appears in The Phoenix weekly comic as well as The Funniest Book Ever!
Emma Perry
Emma Perry is the founder of the award-winning children’s book review site My Book Corner, runs International Book Giving Day, and can always be found with a book or two tucked in her bag. In her role as a primary school teacher, Emma adores sharing stories with her students.
Sharon Davey
Sharon Davey has worked on storytelling in a range of forms, as a children’s illustrator with a past in Theatre Design. Her work was selected for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators #PicturesAtPlay exhibition 2019-2020.
Tom Knight
Tom is an illustrator and author based on the east coast of England. He is represented by the Bright Group.
Rikin Parekh
Rikin Parekh is a children's book illustrator based in North West London. He studied at the Camberwell College of Arts and University of Westminster. Rikin has worked as a Film Production Illustrator, as well as a picture book illustrator.
Ben Martynoga
Dr Ben Martynoga is a neuroscientist and science writer. After more than a decade at the forefront of brain research, he swapped his white coat for a pen. Always working to open up the hard science and find a compelling angle, he publishes books, chapters, blogs, videos and podcasts. His work appears in the Guardian, New Statesman, i newspaper, Financial Times and beyond. He lives, works, wanders and wonders in the Lake District.
Moose Allain
Moose Allain's cartoons feature regularly in Private Eye and The Literary Review, and his prolific humorous Tweets have won him fans worldwide.
Paul Nurse
Paul Nurse is a geneticist and cell biologist who has worked on how the reproduction of cells is controlled. This process is the basis of growth and development in all living organisms. He is Director of the Francis Crick Institute in London and has served as Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, President of Rockefeller University and President of the Royal Society. He shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and has received the Albert Lasker Award and the Royal Society's Royal and Copley Medals. He was knighted in 1999 and received the Legion d'honneur from France in 2003 and the Order of the Rising Sun from Japan in 2018. He served for 15 years on the Council of Science and Technology, advising the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and is presently a Chief Scientific Advisor for the European Union and a trustee of the British Museum. Paul flies gliders and vintage aeroplanes and has been a qualified bush pilot. He also likes the theatre, classical music, hill-walking, going to museums and art galleries, and running very slowly.
Polly Dunbar
Polly Dunbar is the creator of many much-loved children's books, including the bestselling and award-winning Penguin and Tilly and Friends, which became a popular television series. She is also co-founder of Long Nose Puppets, an award-winning theatre company.
Nansubuga Isdahl
Nansubuga Isdahl is a writer and editor, who has worked on international development programes primarily in East and Southern Africa, for over a decade. Her clients including the World Bank, World Education, UNICEF and UNESCO. Nansubuga is currently based in Tanzania.
Tammy Taylor
Patrice Aggs
Patrice Aggs has illustrated more than 50 children’s books, worked in pre-computer animation (including The Snowman at TVC) and contributed to art collections in Europe, the USA and Japan. She was born in Michigan and studied at St John’s College, Annapolis and City & Guilds Art School, London.
George Ermos