Authors and illustrators

Stacey Thomas has been drawing for as long as she can remember. She lives in a small town in the Oxfordshire countryside, where she spends her days illustrating picture books, rambling in the neighbouring woods and attempting to befriend the local wildlife.

Stacie Bradly lives in a small flat in London surrounded by a rainbow of children's books. She loves creating new books for children and gives books to everyone she meets. When she is not working, she can be found at the theatre watching a musical or taking a walk in the woods dreaming of the Scottish Highlands.

Sophie Cameron is a YA and MG author from the Scottish Highlands. She studied French and Comparative Literature at the University of Edinburgh and has a Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing from Newcastle University. Her debut novel OUT OF THE BLUE was nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2019. She lives in Spain with her family.

Simon Cooper has illustrated many children’s books, including the award-winning Ghost of Uncle Arvie. As well as drawing, he enjoys loud music and zombie films.

Sol Linero was born in San Miguel del Monte, a colourful town about 50 miles from Buenos Aires. There, he spent many summers drawing until he moved to Buenos Aires to study Graphic Design, the career that led him to the motion graphics world and later to illustration. He has an exquisite tea cup collection and is madly in love with a little dog named “Poncho”.

Smriti is an internationally bestselling, award-winning children’s author, published in more than 35 languages worldwide. She began her career at the BBC and worked for several years as a writer and editor in children’s publishing and television, before taking up writing full time. She lives in London with her husband and three sons, reading, writing and eating sticky buns.

Soofiya’s design practice centres around illustration, visual identity and book design, with most clients tending to be in the arts, cultural and activist sector. Soofiya’s art practice and writings aim to articulate a commentary on gender, race, politics and bodies through a DIY and therapeutically informed approach.

Soofiya has worked as a lecturer in design and arts at Universities and HE institutions nationally and internationally in the UK and Xiamen, China. Soofiya is currently an associate lecture at UAL on their MA Internet Equalities course as well as a sessional lecturer at Ravensbourne and Brighton University.