Cambridge Open Studios 2026
This will be my second summer opening my small studio to visitors as part of the Open Studios scheme. I will be opening from 10am to 5pm on weekends 1,3 & 4 at Cambridge Artworks and Artspace, 5 Green’s Road, Cambridge. More details of how to visit and who else will be open can be found on the Artworks website here: https://www.cambridgeartworks.com/open-studios
Histon Handmade 2026
I’m happy to say that I will be at Histon Handmade again this year with my books, handmade cards and original artworks too. The event is on Saturday 21st November, open from 12-7pm – for more details see the website here: https://histonhandmade.com/ As always, I’ll be very happy to sign and dedicate books!
Read and Learn with Simon Kids
I was recently asked by the lovely people at Simon Kids in the US to record a reading of The Little Bee for their YouTube channel. There were quite a few outtakes but I finally managed to send them good enough recordings of the introduction, reading and sign off! Here is the result:
Picturebooking Podcast with Nick Patton October 2020
This weeks Picturebooking podcast hosted by Nick Patton features a chat we had on Skype a few weeks ago. We talk about how the character of Ollie first came about, where my inspiration for The Little Kitten came from, and how I became a childrens’s book illustrator and author. I was very nervous to start with but I really enjoyed chatting with Nick! You can subscribe to the podcast on the usual platforms or listen to it online here: Picturebooking
First Lady of the United States Reads The Little Rabbit on Easter Sunday!
I woke up on Monday 13th April to see a very surprising tweet from the US, asking how I felt about the First Lady reading my book! I had no idea what was going on, but, after a search on twitter, I found out that Melania Trump had made a film of herself reading The Little Rabbit for her Easter message. This was in place of the usual White House Egg Roll which had been cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. You can find the film on the First Lady’s twitter and instagram accounts, and it’s also available to watch on the White House YouTube channel here:
BookTrust’s Great Books Guide 2019
I’m very happy to say that My Name Is Bear has been included in BookTrust’s Great Books Guide for 2019! This guide shows their picks for the best 100 books of the year divided into different age categories, so it’s a real honour for Bear to be there! He’s included in the 0-3 age group and there is a lovely review on the BookTrust website too.
Love Your Library Campaign
A while ago I was asked by the lovely people at Simon & Schuster Children’s UK to create a black and white illustration for a campaign they were launching to support libraries and the vital work that they do in providing access to books and reading for all children.
The artworks produced by myself and 11 other illustrators form the basis of a touring LOVE YOUR LIBRARY exhibition which launched at the Victoria and Albert museum in the National Art Library on Monday 7th October, during Libraries Week 2019. The exhibition has now embarked on a year-long tour of the UK visiting several public libraries including Halifax,
Redbridge and Barnsley. The year-long tour will culminate during Libraries Week 2020 with a free prize draw open to schools and public libraries to win one of the 12 original artworks!
