Emma Simpson author page

Emma Simpson biography

Emma Simpson is a British picture-book author and illustrator. Before becoming a full-time author-illustrator, she worked in the special education sector for many years, an experience that she says continues to inform her creative work.

Simpson’s debut picture book, Clara and the Birds, was published by Milky Way Picture Books in 2024. The book follows Clara, a shy child fascinated by birds, as an encounter with one bird helps her recognise her own strengths. Simpson was the UK winner of the international Picture This! illustration competition in 2021. Clara and the Birds was subsequently selected for the dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books 2024 and shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2024. Simpson was also a finalist for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition in 2025.

Her second picture book, Pebble and Po, is both written and illustrated by Simpson and published by Little Tiger. It introduces Pebble, a rabbit who unexpectedly meets a bear named Po, beginning a friendship that takes them through rainstorms, caves and encounters with other characters while exploring friendship and asking for help. Little Tiger has scheduled the UK hardback edition of Pebble and Po for publication on 3 September 2026.