Hello, I’m Katharine Wren, an illustrator living in Sussex, UK. I’m a recent graduate of the Cambridge School of Art Children’s Book Illustration MA, and I’m inspired by history, places and how places change over time.

I grew up absorbed in books, and my work is influenced by the novels I read as a child – books steeped in magical realism and time travel. My ideas grow through observational drawing – I can often be found drawing people in parks and gardens, sometimes with smears of pastel on my cheeks.

Currently I enjoy layering dry materials to produce a soft aesthetic, and my favourite part of a project is developing warm, gestural characters to fill my worlds. I love working in black and white as well as colour, and would be excited to collaborate on middle grade projects and non-fiction.

My career until now has been in TV, a fast-paced environment where team work, efficient organisation and clear communication have been crucial; skills I feel are just as important in the world of children’s books.

Please contact katharinewrenillustrates@gmail.com

I share drawings, ideas and things I’m doing on Instagram @katharinewrenwalker