Meerkat Mail New Award-winning author by Emily Gravett (author)

Emily Gravett is a graduate of Brighton University and winner of the 2004 Macmillan Prize for Illustration. Wolves, her first picture book was published in August 2005 and marked the beginning of an internationally stellar career creating extraordinary books for children including Orange Pear Apple Bear, Meerkat Mail and Matilda’s Cat. Her most recent picture book to be published by Macmillan is Little Mouse’s Big Book of Beasts, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears. Emily has also illustrated Cave Baby which was written by the former children’s laureate Julia Donaldson.

Wolves was received with great acclaim across the children’s book world, winning many prizes including the prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. In 2007, Emily won the Best Emerging Illustrator Award at the Booktrust Early Years Awards for Monkey and Me and the bronze award in the 6-8 category at the Nestle Children’s Book Prize for Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears. In 2008 Emily was awarded her second CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears.

Emily was born 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 their two dogs Otto and Edie.