Nick Sharratt BookTrust's new Writer-Illustrator in Residence

BookTrust’s residency provides a platform for writers and illustrators to explore issues that they are passionate about and use their creativity to inspire more children and families to read together, focusing on supporting the most disadvantaged to build a reading habit.

Sharatt, who has worked with celebrated writers including Julia Donaldson, Kes Gray and Michael Rosen, and is well known for his collaboration with Jacqueline Wilson, will use his six-month residency to demonstrate how families can use pictures to engage babies and young children with books. He will also champion how reading can support children’s development, emotional wellbeing, creativity and imagination.

He has also produced 60 titles of his own, been the official illustrator for World Book Day, and, together with author Katrina Charman, was awarded the 2021 BookTrust Storytime Prize for The Whales on the Bus.

PHOTO: Nick Sharratt

Nick Sharratt said, ‘My six months as BookTrust’s Writer-Illustrator in Residence is going to be one long picture party! I’ll be celebrating the extraordinary power of the visual image on the page and the enormous impact pictures have on us, right from the very first books we encounter.

'I’m passionate about how pictures and images encourage and enrich children’s reading experiences and how frequently they can take us on wonderful journeys independent of the words. Pictures can be incredibly freeing and empowering, particularly for those children who aren’t big readers.

'So many children enjoy sharing books by focussing on the imagery rather than the text so look out on the BookTrust website for tips on how to get the most out of illustrations in picture books and find out how you can take part in fun, easy drawalongs I’ll be hosting. No matter how young or old we are, we can all create wonderful pictures too!’