Re-cap of this year’s achievements, and impact on my career.

This year has been a very successful start in the picturebook industry for me. My first published book has been reviewed and listed as one of the best books in 2017 in numerous creditable media sources including The Guardian and The London Standard. The book has been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Illustration Award, the most prestigious award for picturebook illustration alongside the books of Oliver Jeffers, Jon Klassen, Laura Carlin and Quentin Blake.  The book has also been shortlisted for another leading award for new talent in the industry that has yet to be officially announced. The book has sold in 10 territories out of a possible 33 so far including, USA, China, France, and Germany, putting the publishers I currently work with in touch with territories they have never worked with before.

I’m hoping that the success of this book, the illustration award lists and media coverage will help convince publishers, creative directors and editors in my abilities as an illustrator and in turn will allow me some room to make more experimental work. I want to position myself in the industry not only as someone who makes beautiful work, or sells work, but as someone that innovates and leads. I want to continue to learn and improve and I want to see evidence of this work in the books I publish, particularly in the books I author myself. I have two contracts left to illustrate over the coming year. After that I intend to publish only books I have authored myself from then on. Going forward I intend to take as much creative control over my work as is possible.