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Author Biography
I was born in
Germany and grew up in a small town which was
locally quite famous for its button museum. There was also a lot of
forest nearby, and a very large motorway.
As a baby I liked
books so much that I ate them, and when I found out that there were
people making them I decided to make my own, to taste.
Growing up, I spent a lot of my time
inventing and making things with my family - sculptures, machines,
puppets, theatres, super-8 animations... we'd often go to
museums and find new ideas for things to make, and go straight to the
hardware store to pick up more materials and tools.
I
also wrote and drew adventure stories (my dad typed them up and stapled
them into booklets to send to my aunts and uncles).
After finishing school I considered that more people in the world
read English than German, and that English sentences are on average a
quarter shorter than German ones, and decided that it would be much
preferable to write in English.
So I studied English at University while writing Fantasy stories to
practise (none of them are published, which is probably
a good thing). Eventually I moved to Cornwall, England,
and got an Illustration degree at Falmouth College of Arts. I sold my
first picture book text ("Adventures
of a Nose", Walker Books) while I was
still studying, which was surprising and encouraging.
I very much liked living by the sea, and most of my books feature at
least one underwater scene and lots of fish.
But I moved to London anyway.
There I started illustrating as well as writing.
At first I drew fiddly pictures, then I hurt my arm and drew
chunky pictures instead. Now I am better again and do both.
My books have been translated into several languages.
"Shark
and Lobster's Amazing
Undersea Adventure", was shortlisted
for the V&A illustration Award.
"Timothy
and the Strong
Pyjamas"(a
superhero adventure) was shortlisted for the Booktrust Early Years
Award, and is shortlisted for the Cambridgeshire Children's Book Award.
I was longlisted for the 2008 Booktrust Big Picture Award for the ten
best illustrators.
Upcoming in 2008 is "There
Are Cats in this Book" (a novelty book
full of cats - and some other things).
Besides working on
some new picture books and novelty books I like to write ghost stories,
and when I've got time to spare I'm working on an epic adventure
series, with maps and languages and all that jazz.
I mostly write in bed in the early morning, before getting up, and
draw during the rest of the day when I'm not out of doors looking at
stuff.
I like to do chaotic needlework and make toys, stuffed
ones mostly.
I keep canaries and other finches and let them fly about the studio
every day. They often try and make nests out of the paintbrushes but
that’s ok.
I can also tap-dance and I have helped out in a few puppet shows, but
mostly I prefer a quiet time, rather.