Fabi Santiago author page

Fabi Santiago biography

Fabi Santiago is a Brazilian children’s author and illustrator. Born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in the Brazilian countryside, she studied art and design before completing an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art in 2014. Her illustration work combines bold, limited colour palettes with printmaking techniques, particularly screen-printing.

Her debut picture book, Tiger in a Tutu, was published by Orchard Books in 2016. It follows Max, a tiger who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. The book was shortlisted for the 2017 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and featured in the Scottish Book Trust’s selection of books challenging gender expectations.

Santiago’s other picture books include My Pet T-Rex, I Really Want That Unicorn and Finderella, published by Hachette Children’s Group. She also illustrated Happy Birthday, Dog! by Annabel Pitcher, published by Hodder Children’s Books in 2022, and Sarah Driver’s Once We Were Witches fantasy series, published by Egmont and Farshore.

In 2022, Santiago graduated from the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Her picture book Willa’s Monster Muddle, published by Rocket Bird Books in September 2025, follows a young girl who accidentally accompanies a real witch to a haunted house party after a fancy-dress mix-up.

Santiago has also written a young adult horror-comedy, These Girls Slay, about two friends whose attempt to resurrect a pet rabbit unleashes a zombie outbreak in London. The novel is scheduled for publication by Chicken House in March 2027.