Meet our writers and illustrators

Alex Farebrother-Naylor

Illustrator

The illustrator of Pop!, Alex is a lecturer in film and visual culture at the University of Greenwich, where she makes the youth of today learn to love Satoshi Kon and 1970s horror. She researches and writes on topics including SF and horror cinema, anime, censorship, fan cultures and social media. Nerds are cool now.

Alex is also an illustrator and cartoonist with a particular interest in observing the quirks and absurdities of modern urban life. Her prouder moments as an illustrator include the chapter illustrations and cover for the memoirs of veteran journalist Bill Deedes, and regular cartoons, book illustrations and a board game for the cult London magazine Smoke: a London Peculiar.

Alex lives in London with her wife Helen, two energetic and sticky-fingered little children, two big greedy cats, and one fancy coffee machine.

Cally Lathey

Illustrator

Cally Lathey, illustrator of Park Life, is a London born illustrator and artist. Cally produces contemporary and intricate illustrations, applying soft 1950s pastels and bold bright colours to everyday life scenes, a style she developed whilst studying at Central Saint Martins School of Art. Cally works in fashion and as a freelance illustrator.

Cerys Rees

Illustrator

Cerys Rees lives in Llantrisant, South Wales, with a menagerie of rabbits, hens, hounds and two small children. The author of A Lovely Day For A Walk, she has always loved creating and painting, and the arrival of her children inspired Cerys to reassess her career in Sales and Marketing and start illustrating again. When she’s not drawing, she can be found on a mountain, running along the Taffs Trail, or baking with the enormous amount of eggs her flock of hens produce.

Eleanor Levenson

Author

Eleanor Levenson lives in East London with her husband and three children. For Fisherton Press she is the author of We Love the NHS and The Election, both illustrated by Marek Jagucki, and also A Lovely Day for a Walk, The Class and We Are Extraordinary. She’s written books for adults on feminism, campaigning and journalism under the name Ellie Levenson and has also written children’s books published by Troika Books and Quarto. Eleanor lectures in journalism at Goldsmiths College and Boston University (London).

Emmanuelle Smith

Author

Emmanuelle Smith, author of Park Life, is an editor and journalist who has worked for the Financial Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Big Issue. She holds an MA in Journalism from Goldsmiths College, University of London, a BA in Philosophy from the University of Southampton, and qualified teacher status (QTS).

Apart from writing, Emmanuelle enjoys outdoor swimming, reading comics and graphic novels, drinking coffee and eating sushi. Her favourite children’s authors include Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Judith Kerr and Shirley Hughes.

Farah Ishaq

Farah Ishaq is an award winning public realm artist with community focus, with her eye on transforming unloved spaces. Becoming an artist as a second career in her late 30s, previously working in publishing for 18 years, she graduated with distinction an MA in Fine Art from University of East London in November 2018. Her illustrations for We Are Extraordinary are inspired by the people included as well as from living in Waltham Forest for almost 40 years. She recently moved into Trinity Buoy Wharf’s Container City to develop her practice.

Jude Rogers

Author

Jude Rogers, author of Pop!, is a journalist who writes about music for The Guardian, the Observer, The Quietus and Q, and talks about it for the BBC. She also loves singing, dancing and listening to records by The Beatles, R.E.M., The Shangri-Las, Kraftwerk and Pulp.

Marek Jagucki

Illustrator

Marek is the illustrator of We Love the NHS and The Election. He studied illustration at Falmouth School of Art and Design and has been illustrating since 1993 with clients across Europe, Asia and North America. His work has appeared in children’s books and magazines, educational publications, toys, games and packaging. He is the illustrator for the bestselling ‘My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish’ series by Mo O’Hara and a regular contributor to National Geographic Kids magazine. He lives in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with his wife, son and dog.

Marlene Gerlyng

Illustrator

Originally from Norway, Marlene, illustrator of The Class, currently lives in Cambridge. She has a degree in Illustration from Falmouth University College. She returned to Norway and spent some years teaching at an art and design college including running art courses for younger children. She came back to the UK to do an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Arts in 2013. Marlene works digitally but always tries to ensure her images maintain a traditional aesthetic.

Sonia Malik

Illustrator

Sonia Malik, the writer and illustrator of The perfect cup of tea, is a mostly self taught artist, who originally studied Law and then Forensic Psychology, before spending several years working in various Psychology Departments in the Prison Service. In the last few years, she has returned to her first love; art. Her paintings are usually acrylic on canvas, and are inspired by pop art, graphic novels and fashion photography. Her children’s illustrations are inspired by the many books she has read to her naughty nephews over the years. When she is not painting or drawing, she conducts social research on the experiences of children and young people with cancer. Sonia is passionate about Japanese food, science fiction, Lego, and being creative in some way every single day.