Jonny Duddle

Jonny spent his childhood in the wet and windy hills of North Wales, exploring forests, riding his bike for miles and miles, scrumping apples and building tree-houses. And when he wasn't outside he was drawing and busily creating worlds, sprawled across his bedroom floor, with paper everywhere.

When he realized he had to grow up and get a job, he went to college to study illustration and then got himself a proper job on a pirate ship. He spent a year climbing up and down rigging before jumping ship in Dublin because the ship's chef didn't like his vegetarian ways. As a landlubber, he enjoyed stints as an encyclopedia salesman, a children's entertainer in Majorca, a gallery warden, and an art teacher in Kang, a small village in the middle of the Kalahari Desert.

Whilst teaching art, it dawned on Jonny how much he missed actually drawing things, so he got a job drawing characters and things for computer games. When his first daughter was born he decided the commute to a big office wasn't for him, and thought he'd try his luck as a freelance illustrator, so he could have lunch at home and play in the garden.

As well as one picture book (for now!), Jonny has illustrated many more books for children, including the 'Beastly Business' series, 'Highway Robbery', the 'Benjamin Piff' books, 'Nation' by Terry Pratchett, and the upcoming 'Archer Legacy' series. He's also doodled a lot of covers.

Nowadays, Jonny has returned to the wet and windy hills of North Wales. He spends most of his time drawing and busily creating worlds, sprawled across his studio floor, with paper everywhere. When he's not drawing, he likes exploring forests, riding his bike for miles and miles, scrumping apples and building garden sheds.