Jim Smith author page

Jim Smith biography

Jim Smith is a British children’s author, illustrator, and designer, best known for creating the award-winning Barry Loser series. Born in London, he graduated in 1997 with a first-class degree in advertising, graphic design, and illustration. Shortly after, he began working with Puccino’s coffee shops, where he remains Head of Design.

In 2010, Smith launched the Waldo Pancake brand, producing humorous stationery and gift items sold internationally. His debut children’s book, I Am Not a Loser, was published in 2012 and introduced readers to Barry Loser, a character navigating the challenges of school life. The sequel, I Am Still Not a Loser, won the 2013 Roald Dahl Funny Prize for children aged 7–14. The series has been translated into 17 languages and sold over 840,000 copies worldwide.

Smith expanded the Barry Loser universe with the Future Ratboy spin-off series, which won the 2017 Laugh Out Loud Book Award (Lollies) for children aged 6–8. He also authored the Super Weird Mysteries series and has released full-colour Barry Loser graphic novels. In 2024, he introduced two new series: My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary (Scholastic) and How to Be a Genius Kid (Faber), the latter published under his Waldo Pancake pseudonym.

Alongside his writing, Smith has contributed illustrations and designs for various brands, including M&S, PJ Smoothies, and Orange.