Holly Swain

I was born and grew up in Canterbury, Kent and I can always remember drawing. I loved making up characters and their worlds. We had a massive roll of newsprint that I used to draw on and my favourite place to draw was under my families dining room table!

I studied at Illustration at UWE Bristol and then at University of Brighton for an MA. Illustrating children's book has got to be the best job in the world and I feel so lucky to spend my days thinking up characters and what they get up to. I now live in Hove, with my husband and two daughters. I love going for walks by the sea, doing some gardening and drinking tea.

I use dip pen and ink, watercolours and printing textures to use in my work and it is a mix of traditional and digital media.

I have illustrated 15 books and 'Colin's Castle' is the first I have written and illustrated.