Anna Shuttlewood

Anna was born in a sunny city in Eastern Europe. She spent a lot of her childhood at her family’s puppet theatre, growing up backstage amongst the puppets and set pieces. It is probably where her love for storytelling and illustration began. At home, Anna was surrounded by her father’s paints and pictures. She used to play with sketchbooks, which she continually filled with her crayons, page after page of big smiling suns with thick colourful rays.

Now a published illustrator and author, Anna still creates worlds which are bright and happy. With a focus on animal characters and animal/human relationships, she enjoys creating ageless pictures and stories, to delight both children and adults alike. She likes detailed illustrating, creating pictures which often feature ‘mini-stories’ within. Anna has an interest in using traditional painting / drawing materials such as watercolour and gouache or pen and ink but also works with Photoshop to maximize her work’s finish.
Since writing her first picture book I’m the Happiest, Anna has written four more picture books and three baby board books, and now can’t wait to get into her writing again after a few years looking after the family.

Anna studied at Sofia’s National School for Fine Art for five years in classical techniques and subjects, and then gained a BA in Fine & Art and Mural Painting from the National Academy of Arts. She now lives in England and since moving here has been writing and illustrating children’s books and also designing greeting cards for Two Bad Mice.