Alex T Smith

After briefly considering careers in space travel, cookery and being a rabbit, Alex T. Smith finally decided to become an illustrator. In 2006 he graduated from Coventry University with a 1st Class Hons degree in Illustration. Alex now lives in York with girlfriend Jemma and their three tiny, naughty dogs.

His complex style of hand-drawn and hand-coloured artwork, combined with digital design and scanned-in textures, offers layers of detail to be explored and enjoyed. Through his many hobbies – people watching, eavesdropping and being a world-class window looker-outer – Alex has exceptional observational skills and creates familiar and loveable characters.

Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero (Scholastic) was the first book Alex illustrated and it won the Coventry Inspiration Book Award, and was longlisted for the Greenaway Medal in 2009. Alex was also shortlisted for The Best Emerging Illustrator by The Book Trust in 2008.

He has since written and illustrated his own picture books including the heartwarming story Home (Scholastic) and the recently published Bella & Monty (Hodder Children’s Books). Home and Eliot Jones were also both featured and read aloud on CBeebies.

Other clients include The Guardian Guide, Waitrose and Bookstart.