ROSS COLLINS

Ross Collins was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1972. He says, "apparently I would eat anything and resembled a currant bun." As a child he was fond of drawing, the Bionic Man and precariously swinging backwards on chairs. He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1994 with a First in Illustration and then  'spent two years in London cultivating exotic image of scribbling Scotsman abroad' before returning to Glasgow.

Ross has illustrated over fifty children's books so far of which he also wrote five: The Elephantom, Germs, Alvie Eats Soup, Busy Night and The Sea Hole.

He has an impressive number of awards under his belt, including MacMillan First Prize for The Sea Hole; a Blue Ribbon Award (US) for Supposing; an Oppenhiem Award for Alvie Eats Soup, and a White Raven Award 2003 (Germany) for Busy Night. Ross has been nominated for the Blue Peter Book Award and the Young Hoosier Book Award, and also received A Scottish Arts Council Book Award.

EMILY GRAVETT

Emily was born in 1972 in Brighton. She left school with few qualifications and spent 8 years living on the road (in a variety of vehicles including a truck, caravan and RAF petrol bus called Toby Diesel) before settling back in Brighton and getting a place on the BA (Hons) Illustration course at Brighton University. She lives in Brighton with her daughter Oleander, partner Mik and two pet rats, Buttons and Mr. Moo.

Wolves, her first picture book was published in August 2005 and marked the beginning of an internationally stellar career creating extraordinary books for children. Orange Pear Apple Bear was published in March 2006 and was followed by Meerkat Mail in August 2006.

Wolves has been received with great acclaim across the children's book world, winning the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2005, 5 and under NestlŽ Children's Book Prize Bronze Award 2005, the National Literacy Association Wow Award 2006 and The English Association's Award for the Best Key Stage 1 Children's Illustrated Books of 2005 and 'Read it Again!' the Cambridgeshire Children's Picture Book Award.

MINI GREY

Mini Grey was given her name after being born in a Mini in a carpark in Newport, Wales.

Mini attended Berkshire College of Art to do a Foundation course before going on to University College, London to do a BA Hons in English. She has also completed a Motley Theatre Design Course. After university, Mini worked as a theatre designer for several years before training as a primary teacher. This led to six years teaching in South London.

She then moved to Oxford and started an MA in Sequential Illustration at Brighton University. During her time there she completed a project on Gulliver's Travels, turning it into a pop-up book and animation. Mini is still teaching part time in schools in Oxford.

Mini has dabbled in many interests and hobbies including gas welding, making flickbooks, computer animation, learning the accordion - but very badly according she says - collecting toys and is currently studying etching.

Mini's charmed her readers with her first book, Egg Drop, a wonderful story about an egg that has always dreamed of being able to fly, but it doesn't really know much about making the dream a reality. The only method that seems guaranteed to work is to get to a very high place and thenÉjump!

Since then, she has gone to re-write a delightful and fresh take on the traditional tale, The Pea and the Princess and this was shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway medal in 2004.

Biscuit Bear won the Nestle Smarties Gold award in 2004. It is a delicious treat about a little biscuit that comes to life and embarks on a very exciting adventure.

Mini's next book Traction Man is Here was published in April 2005. A fabulously witty story about a stylish action hero whose life changes when his owner's granny knits him a romper suit and matching bonnet. It was also shortlisted for The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2006.

JOHN KELLY AND CATHY TINCKNELL

John was born in Stockton-on -Tees in the North East of England in 1964. He studied Fine Art at Hartlepool for a year but decided to persue a commercial career and left to move to London.

John has worked steadily since leaving college both as an illustrator and designer of children's books. Among his many successes as an illustrator are the titles: The Robot Zoo and Everyday Machines, both of which were runners up in the prestigious Rhone Poulenc Prize, and Dragon Islands which won the Crystale Nautile in France.

As a designer he has been responsible a wide range of projects, from illustrated non fiction such as the Dorling Kindersley Star Wars Cross-sections books to interstitials graphics for TV.

John is passionate about the use of digital technology to create his illustrations and has developed a new style where he paints freehand on screen, resulting in lively illustrations.

His highly acclaimed title, Guess Who's Coming for Dinner? produced in collaboration with his wife Cathy Tincknell, was shortlisted for the 2005 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. They have recently teamed up again on Scoop!

John and Cathy live in South London.

CATHERINE RAYNER

Award winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner was born in Harrogate and now lives in Edinburgh. She has a BA Hons in Visual Communication and Illustration from Leeds College of Art and Edinburgh College of Art.

Much of her inspiration - and occasionally modelling! - for her illustration comes from her pets: her horse Shannon, guinea pig Marvin, dog Ellie, cat Ena and two goldfish, Bruce and Sheila. However, it was animals of a slightly larger kind who were the inspiration for Augustus - Catherine drew many of her initial sketches of him whilst watching the tigers at Edinburgh Zoo!

In 2006 Catherine was awarded the Best New Illustrator Award at the Booktrust Early Years awards and was also shortlisted for the V&A Illustration Awards 2006. Augustus And His Smile was selected as one of five picture books to be featured and recommended on Channel 4's 'Richard and Judy Christmas Party' in December 2006.

CHRIS RIDDELL

Chris Riddell is familiar to both children and adults for his distinctive line drawings with their clever caricature, fascinating detail and often enchanting fantasy elements.

He studied illustration at Brighton Polytechnic and has illustrated several picture books including Something Else by Kathryn Cave which was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize and which won the Unesco Award. The Swan's Stories by Brian Alderson was shortlisted for the 1997 Kurt Maschler Award and Castle Diary was shortlisted for the 1999 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. Pirate Diary won the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal in 2002 and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver won the 2004 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.

Chris' popularity extends to the young teenage market with his collaboration with Paul Stewart on the best selling Edge Chronicles series, the ninth of which will be published later this year. For slightly younger children his Fergus Crane adventure series, again written by Paul Stewart, has achieved critical success with Fergus Crane winning the Smarties Gold Award and Corby Flood winning the Smarties Silver Award. An extraordinary achievement which cements Chris Riddell's position as one of the top illustrators working today.

In addition to his children's book work, Chris is a renowned political cartoonist whose work appears regularly in The Observer, The Literary Review and The New Statesman. One of his claims to fame is that he was the first cartoonist to depict William Hague in shorts; an illustration that William Hague subsequently bought!

Chris Riddell lives in Brighton with his wife and children.