Author, Illustrator and Picture Book Maker
I'm Emma Woodthorpe, I'm an illustrator who creates picture books.
I've been drawing all my life and have always had a passion for books - both reading and writing them!
A million years ago I gained a First Class BA (Hons) in English Literature and an MA in Literature Studies from York St John University, which I'm very proud of. That place really helped to nurture my love of books.
I've always wanted to create books, all the way back since I was a fresh-faced teenager. But back then instead of illustrating them I used to spend hours filling notebooks with poetry and short stories.
I studied English Literature at University and got a swanky First Class BA (Hons) degree (and even an MA in in Literature Studies!) from the wonderful York St John University. I have a lot to thank them for, particularly my personal tutor Roger Clark who always encouraged my thoughts and ideas and always brought out my very best.
In the meantime I was always being arty and creative and eventually I realised that this is where I wanted to lay my hat. In around 2013 I started picking up a pencil again to give my illustration muscles a dusting off and I haven't looked back since.
I set up my own indie-business in 2017 called Embers and Ink selling my own illustrated products.
In 2020 I decided to finally put pencil to paper and pin down that children's picture book idea that had been floating around my head for far too long. A rhyming children's picture book all about a special cat called Dave: our cat called Dave in fact!
We adopted Dave in 2014 from the cat shelter and knew that he was going to be a star. Now children all across the globe know his name.
I'm currently working through all the other picture book ideas that have started floating around my head, and I'm here for it!
