Authors in the Spotlight

Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the UK. She is the author of the bestselling Anna Hibiscus and No. 1 Car Spotter series, as well as Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country.

Wendy Meddour has published over 25 internationally successful children’s books and is best known for writing award-wining picture books that tackle challenging topics in uplifting ways.

Eloise’s middle grade novels have won the Wales Arts Review Young People’s Book of the Year, the Wolverhampton Children’s Book Award, the YBB Book Award, and have been shortlisted for the Tir na nOg, the NE Book Awards and Wales Book of the Year.

Natasha Farrant is the author of the Costa Award winning novel, Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, bestselling middle-grade novels, The Children of Castle Rock and The Rescue of Ravenwood.

Kieran’s books have won several awards, including the Blue Peter Best Story and the Prix Sorcières. He is inspired by a life-long love of fantasy stories.

Carnegie Medal winning Tanya Landman is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults.

Anna James is a writer and journalist. Before turning her hand to writing children’s books Anna was a secondary school librarian for 5 years, Book News Editor at The Bookseller magazine and Literary Editor of Elle UK.

Manjeet Mann is an actress, playwright, screenwriter, and director. She is founder of Run the World and author of two award winning YA novels – Run, Rebel and The Crossing.

Beverley Naidoo is the Carnegie Medal-winning author of many novels for children and young adults. Much of Beverley’s writing is influenced by her upbringing during the apartheid years in South Africa.

Author of over 35 award-winning titles, he also writes dyslexic-friendly books – Gamer, Ninja and SPEAR – and the highly popular DFE-validated Little Wandle phonics series Jake and Jen.

Ken Wilson-Max was born in Zimbabwe. His first book was published in 1993 and since then there have been over 70, with a string of national and international awards.

Ross Montgomery is the author of the picture book Space Tortoise, His debut novel, Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door was selected as one of The Sunday Times’ “Top 100 Modern Children’s Classics”.

Vivian French is a much-loved author who has written more than 300 books for children. In 2016, she received an MBE for services to literature, literacy, illustration and the arts.

Marcus Sedgwick has written over 50 books, including books for adults, young adults, and younger children, and of all types, from picture books to non-fiction, comics to graphic novels. He has won many awards for his work over the last quarter of a century.

Petr Horácek graduated as a Master of Fine Art in 1994. Petr has written and illustrated many books for children and won awards for his books in Britain, USA and Holland. His new book, The Perfect Present was published on 25th August 2022.

Nicola Skinner worked as a copywriter and journalist for the likes of the Guardian and the Pool before being inspired to write for young readers.

Jackie Morris is the bestselling author and illustrator, photographer and painter who created the international bestseller, The Lost Words, winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal in 2019, with Robert Macfarlane.

Following a medical degree, Lissa Evans changed careers to become a comedy producer for radio and TV. Her children’s novels have been shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award, Carnegie Medal, and Branford Boase Award.

Chrissie Sains is the author of The Alien in the Jam Factory and The Treasure Under the Jam Factory. Chrissie has a background in marketing and events but now writes full time and is a graduate of the Golden Egg Academy and a member of SCBWI.

Neill Cameron is an award-winning author and cartoonist. He is the creator of several comic books, including the Mega Robo Bros series and How to Make Awesome Comics.

Helen Cooper is an author and illustrator whose books have won lots of awards including the Kate Greenaway Medal – twice. She also writes and illustrates Chapter Books and sometimes writes Picture Books in collaboration with other illustrators.

Larraine Harrison writes books for both teachers and children. She likes to involve children in the writing process by asking them to review her drafts and has managed to persuade her grandchildren to be the models on her book covers.

Shereen Malherbe is a British Palestinian author of novels and children’s books. After travelling throughout the Middle East, Shereen now resides in the UK with her husband and four children.

Laura Mucha is an award-winning poet and author whose work has been featured on TV, radio and public transport, as well as in
hospitals, hospices, prisons, magazines and books around the world.

Lucy Strange is a bestselling children’s author. Her novels for booklovers aged 9+ include The Secret of Nightingale Wood, Our Castle by the Sea and The Ghost of Gosswater.

Marcia Williams is famous for her retellings of classic stories. Marcia’s humorous comic-strip illustrations are hugely popular all over the world.

Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning author/illustrator whose picture books include Blown Away, Odd Dog Out, Kevin and Show and Tell.

Lucy Courtenay has written over 100 books, both as herself and as a team writer on series such as Beast Quest.

Sue Cheung is an award-winning British-Chinese author/illustrator of books for children and young adults.

Jenny McLachlan writes funny, accessible books that children love. She’s currently writing the third book in the popular Land of Roar series.

Frank Cottrell Boyce is an award-winning author and screenwriter. Millions, his debut children’s novel, won the CILIP Carnegie Medal.

Hilary McKay is the award winner author of The Skylarks War, The Exiles and the Smarties among many other critically acclaimed titles.

Chris Callaghan is the author of the award winning story ‘The Great Chocoplot’ and his brand new series of books ‘Shinoy and the Chaos Crew’.

Piers Torday is the author of the award-winning trilogy The Last Wild and many other children’s books.

Sue Hardy-Dawson is an award winning poet and an illustrator.

Vashti Hardy is a writer of children’s books. Vashti has a special interest in children’s writing, especially free-writing.