Various UK-born illustrator Alex Willmore is passionate about character design and likes every outcome to have a real sense of fun. He is a multi-award winning illustrator and recognition for his work includes: winning the Lollies 2024 award for Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book for 'I DID see a Mammoth!', published by Farshore; 'Donut Touch', published by Gemini Books, won the 2022 Nottingham Children's Book Award; 'The Runaway Pea' was nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medal; in 2017, Alex was shortlisted for the Sheffield Book Award for his first picture book, 'The New LiBEARian' while 'AdoraBULL' was shortlisted in 2019. Ben studied animation at Surrey Institute of Art & Design, graduating in 2003. He worked on Tim Burton's 'Corpse Bride' before moving to Brighton to work as Head of Animation in a media company. Ben was part of the Animation team creating the BAFTA winning 'Big and Small' CBeebies website. Since 2008, Ben has been working as a Children's Book Illustrator. He illustrated 'Callum's Incredible Construction Kit' which won the Bishop's Stortford Picture Book prize 2013. Julia Seal knew from the age of five what she wanted to do for a living - draw pictures! After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration and then working in the greeting cards industry (and getting covered in glitter every day!) she finally moved onto her dream job - illustrating children's books. Julia illustrated the Toddler's World Series of books for Sainsbury's and her work has been published worldwide. Rhys is an illustrator based in Swansea, UK with Welsh/Norwegian roots. He loves painterly textures and vibrant colours often using a range of mediums to achieve this. Whimsy and fun are at the heart of his work. Richard Watson is an Illustrator based in North Lincolnshire and has been working on children's books since graduating in 2003 with a degree in Illustration from the University of Lincoln.He won the EOCT/SLS Wakefield Riveting Reads Best Picture Book Award 2018 for 'Stone Underpants', and the follow up 'Game of Stones' won best picture book at the Sheffield children's book awards 2018 (Both written by Rebecca Lisle). Vicky's first love, as a child, was always the magical world of drawing. As a grown-up, she side-stepped this to do a Master's degree in Linguistics, then three years of illustration at the Ghent Academy of Arts. Now, after shaking off what she calls the monster of 'Routine' that was hiding in the business world, she has returned to what she loves most, showing the magic she saw as a child to others.
