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Authors beginning with: V

Clara Vulliamy

Clara was born in Notting Hill, and studied at Chelsea School of Art, The Ruskin in Oxford, and The Royal Academy. She began her career by doing illustrations in newspapers and magazines, and started doing books for children when she had children of her own. Clara lives in Twickenham with her husband and two grown-up children.

Charlotte Voake

Born and raised in Wales, Charlotte says that book illustration is "the only thing I ever wanted to do." Skipping formal training in art, she studied art history at London University and worked at an art gallery before embarking on a freelance career in illustration. "I don't know that I'm a funny person," says author-illustrator Charlotte, "but it seems when I begin to draw that the characters change, and they take on this amusing and amused look." Indeed, her illustrations are widely loved for this very quality of gentle wit, not to mention their quiet observation, airy exuberance and utter charm.

Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken

Twin doctors Dr. Chris and Dr. Xand van Tulleken grew up in London and trained in medicine at Oxford University, graduating in 2002. They have combined NHS work with global health work and television appearing in Blizzard: Race to the Pole, Medicine Men and Medicine Men Go Wild.

Operation Ouch! is their first series for children.

Ed Vere

Ed Vere studied fine art at Camberwell College of Art and has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1999. He is published in both England and the US. Ed is also a painter, working from his studio in East London and is represented by galleries in London and Los Angeles. After a year and a half living in Barcelona, Ed now lives and works in London.

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. 

M. M. Vaughan

The daughter of South American parents, Monica Meira Vaughan grew up in Spain before moving to London at the age of five, where she learnt English by watching Sesame Street and reading every Roald Dahl book she could get her hands on. She has over ten years’ experience as a teacher, working mostly with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Monica loves writing after midnight, building cardboard cities and collecting notebooks. She lives in London with her daughter and their cat “Toto From-Kansas”.

Max Velthuijs

Max Velthuijs was a Dutch painter, illustrator and writer, one of the most famous children's illustrators in the Netherlands. In 2004 he received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his "lasting contribution to children's literature".

Pamela Venus

Pamela Venus lives in a long stone cottage on the North Yorkshire coast, illustrating children's books - her childhood ambition. She trained in Reigate and later in Birmingham. Her four grandchildren live very close at hand and have been her best reference and truest critics, and their toys the supporting cast in her pictures.

Simon vand der Geest

Simon van der Geest (1978) grew up in a small village. After high school, he went to Norway for a year. There, he discovered that he wanted to act. As soon as he started the training he realised what he enjoyed most was writing plays, and so he embarked on training for that instead. Now van der Geest likes to write theatre plays as well as stories and poetry for children. He also works as an actor for the police and the army. Geel Gras was his début for Querido. For his Odyssee-revision Dissus and for Spinder he received a "Gouden Griffel", in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Steve Voake

Steve Voake grew up in Midsomer Norton, near Bath. Before becoming a full time writer, Steve was headteacher of a village school in Somerset. He is the critically-acclaimed author of The Dreamwalker's Child, The Web of Fire and The Starlight Conspiracy and, in the words of The Sunday Times, 'sets readers an example of how to write skilfully and thoughtfully.' He lives with his family in Somerset.

Vashti Hardy

Vashti Hardy is the author of Brightstorm and its sequel, Darkwhispers. 'I have always been fascinated by science, technology, and ghost stories. Wildspark brings these interests together and asks a huge "what if?". I'm always happiest when immersed in tales of adventure and invention, and imagining new worlds!’'