Author
Lydia Monks
Lydia was born in Surrey, but grew up in Northampton. She spent a lot of her time drawing horses. Then, having decided to be a fashion designer, she went on to designing clothes. But, having no interest in sewing, Lydia decided to stick to drawing. She has a sister who is also good at drawing. They had a few pets, including an adopted stray cat called Pussy, who Lydia used to try and kick when she was in a strop!
Lydia did a foundation course in Northampton, then an HND in graphics at Lincoln, before a degree in illustration at Kingston University. She lived and worked in London for the next ten years, sometimes from home and sometimes from shared studios. In 2002 she moved to Sheffield, where she lives with her husband.
After leaving college, Lydia worked for many different newspapers and magazines, including The Times, The Evening Standard and Just 17. Lydia had always wanted to illustrate children’s books and as no one could find a book for her to illustrate, she decided to write her own. It was called, I Wish I Were a Dog, and it won the Bronze Smarties Prize in 1999. Since then, she has worked on over forty books: some of her own and some by other people, including Roger McGough, Carol Ann Duffy and Julia Donaldson.