Annabelle Sami is a writer, director and performer who currently works in the arts. While reading children’s books when babysitting she realised there was a lack of representation of funny girls and diverse characters in children’s books – and she decided to do something about it. Growing up mixed-race, she never found her own life reflected in a book and now it’s her mission to make sure that every spirited, witty and adventurous girl has her own special book that she can relate to.

Allen Fatimaharan is an award-winning illustrator whose first middle grade book, Llama Out Loud by Annabelle Sami, won the inaugural Spark Book Award, was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize and Longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards. He is also the official illustrator for World Book Day 2022.