George Butler author page

George Butler biography

George Butler is an artist and illustrator who specialises in current affairs. He works in pen, ink and watercolour, drawing in situ while meeting people in conflict zones, refugee camps and other places where people are on the move. His drawings have been published by The Times, The Guardian, The New York Times and the BBC, and his work has been shown at Imperial War Museum North and the V&A Museum. In 2014 he co-founded the Hands Up Foundation to support salaries for professionals in Syria.

Drawn Across Borders: True Stories of Migration was published by Walker Studio on 1 September 2022 for readers aged 9 to 12. The 56-page book uses drawings and stories from the front lines of migration, refugee camps and journeys to show people leaving home, travelling into the unknown and trying to make a new life. Walker identifies it as Butler’s first children’s book.

Butler has reported on conflicts and crises in countries including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Drawn Across Borders was longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize in 2022, longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2022 and shortlisted for The Accelerated Reader Quiz Writers’ Choice Award in 2023.

Ukraine: Remember Also Me was published by Candlewick Studio on 1 October 2024. The 168-page book was written and illustrated by Butler and gathers testimonies from the war in Ukraine, with drawings made in places including missile-scarred streets and nursing homes. Ukraine: Remember Also Me was selected for Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books in 2024.