Iggy and Me on Holiday

Jenny Valentine

Jenny Valentine worked in a wholefood shop in Primrose Hill for 15 years where she met many extraordinary people – including the inspiration for character Violet Park – and sold more organic loaves than there are words in her first novel. She studied English Literature at Goldsmith’s College, which almost put her off reading but not quite.

Finding Violet Park, winner of the Guardian Fiction Prize and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, was published in January 2007, followed by Broken Soup in January 2008. The Ant Colony, published in March 2009, is her third teen novel. Jenny is married to a singer/songwriter and has two children. She lives in Hay-on-Wye, where she runs another wholefood shop, hoping to find the inspiration for many more novels. 

Joe Berger

Joe Berger has been drawing for as long as he can remember. He grew up loving books and the thought of giving children the same excitement he felt from reading is a huge part of his inspiration.

The official illustrator of World Book Day 2010, Joe has had three picture books published: Hattie the Bad, Bridget Fidget and Bridget Fidget – Hold on Tight! (Puffin Books). He received a Book Trust Best New Illustrators Award in 2011.

Joe’s illustrations are hand drawn with pencil, pen or wax crayon and then scanned into the computer where he adds colour. Before using the computer he found colouring difficult. He explains that using the computer you can make mistakes and correct them and once you’ve got used to this freedom you can’t go back.