Malamander is about a strange seaside town, that becomes even stranger out of season. Children aren’t cynical or weary of the world, and Wonder and curiosity and hope - which seems to fall away the closer to an adult There is a great freedom in writing for children - freedom to write about Published in 2012 - but I think the tone and scope of middle grade suits meīest. I have written a YA novel too - Haunters, which was These days I’m very much committed to writing middle grade fiction, I’m curious if there’s anything about the Middle Grade age range that you especially enjoy or appreciate?Īctually, I haven’t written a picture book, or illustrated one, for a Ha, yes! I think it’s safe to assume some of them have heard of that one! Now, as you’ve said, you are both an author and an illustrator, and you do it all – from picture books to YA and most everything in between. After that I worked mostly on picture books, edging further and further into writing, until I realized that what I really wanted to do was write fiction. At the time though, the book and the author were entirely unknown, so I got the job, straight out of art school. I started out as an illustrator, and my first ever commissioned project was the cover art for a book called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which, er, some of your readers may have heard of. I’m an author and illustrator of children’s books, based in the UK.

UK edition of Harry Potter, with Thomas’s art.

Malamander book 5