Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, born in Barcelona, Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children’s books. In 2014, she created a book for her two twin nieces for their birthday, which shortly thereafter became the first book in the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. This multimillion-copy bestselling series of picture books explores the lives of outstanding people. From Mahatma Gandhi to Aretha Franklin, to Prince, Sánchez Vegara researches complex careers and makes them accessible to young children, with her unique and mindful style of writing. She works with a diverse team of illustrators to make each book lively, eye-catching and motivating. Working for more than fifteen years for clients in top advertising agencies, her books combine creativity with learning, aiming to establish a new and fresh relationship between children and pop culture.
Ulrike Mieke
Ulrike Mieke is a children's book Illustrator from South Africa currently living in Brighton, UK with her husband. She completed an MA in Illustration at Falmouth University in 2024. She loves exploring themes of childhood and memory in her work and primarily uses traditional mediums. Writing gentle and thoughtful stories is a passion of hers and she enjoys adding storytelling to a wide range of commissions and clients, from branding, editorials, maps to children’s books. When she’s not drawing, you can find her teaching at BIMM University in Brighton, hosting events for Flock Brighton, or having a dig in her garden!