Zehra Hicks
Zehra Hicks is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s picture books. Her work is published in over 25 countries. She has written and illustrated eight books, and is currently working on her fifth illustrated book. Some of her books have won awards like Nottingham Children’s Book Award, The ABCD Book Cover Design Award, The Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award, and been nominated for Read It Again and Kate Greenaway Medal.
Zehra didn’t take a degree in illustration, but her array of related experiences has helped her build her author/illustrator career. She graduated from University of Northumbria with a first in Fine Art, and then went on to do an MA in Theatre Design in The Netherlands. She worked on community plays in UK making props and sets before working as a graphic designer in London for eight years. After having her first child 14 years ago, she was introduced to the amazing world of picture books, so on maternity leave she did a short course in book illustration at UAL Chelsea and together with her fine art, theatre and graphic design background managed to get highly commended for the Macmillan Prize where she got her first two-book contract.
As well as writing and illustrating picture books, she is an associate lecturer at UAL LCC, tutors on the Book Illustration short course at UAL Chelsea and Advanced Professional Practice course at City Lit.