Briony May Smith — Devon, USA

“Never assume that the reader knows what is happening: if a character walks into a room, looks for something, finds it and exits, the reader needs to see this over as many frames as possible. Think of it like a film, and the frames you would need as a viewer to understand a scene.”

A freelance illustrator currently living in Devon, Pennsylvania, May Smith specialises in children’s books. She has worked on concept art and character designs for animations and advertising, and produced graphic novels, having graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) from Falmouth University in 2014. Her awards include a Highly Commended for the Macmillan Children’s Prize in 2013 and 2014, and she was shortlisted for the Emerging Talent Category of the British Comic Awards 2014.