I was thrilled to receive the news earlier this year that my author / illustrator picture book ‘The Den’ was long listed for the DPictus unpublished picture book showcase. 

This is an international competition. There were over 700 entries from 70 different countries, and I was one of the 150 submissions that made it to the long list. Above all, I was so pleased that my work would have been seen by so many people from the publishing industry, which may lead to some exciting opportunities.

 ‘The Den’ is a picture book story which follows the journey of two brothers who decide to build a den in the forest. Through doing this they experience the different seasons, make friends, explore the woods, and meet some local wildlife. There is also a big surprise at the end of the book! 

I spend a lot of time in the forest, and this story came to me very easily (they don’t always!) and I was able to write it as a poem, which is also a story. It is inspired by my time living in beautiful British Columbia, and all the amazing wildlife we get to see here. 

The pictures are all painted with a mixture of gouache, coloured pencil and procreate. The book is still out on submission through my agent Essie White, and I hope that it will be published one day.