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Hello! I'm Ella Beech

Children's Illustrator and author Ella Beech sitting at desk, drinking a cup of tea, working in her studio based in Cambridge, UK.

Hello! I'm Ella Beech - artist, children's book illustrator, teacher, and maker of messes, based in Cambridge, UK.

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I came to illustration the long way round. After a Fine Art degree and twenty-one years in children's publishing - my last role was as Head of Campbell Books at Macmillan, via over fifteen years in the art department - I finally gave in to the creative itch that had been slowly growing, and left to do the MA in Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made!

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Since graduating in 2022, I've illustrated books for The Folio Society, Thames & Hudson, Magic Cat, DK and Wide Eyed Editions, and I now teach part-time on the very MA I studied. My newsletter, Gather • Filter • Make, is a Substack Bestseller, and I'm represented by Neil Dunnicliffe at Spring Literary.

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I love to work in traditional media, primarily acrylic ink, watercolour and a variety of pencils and crayons over the top; I'm drawn to the happy accidents and rich textures that come from working on paper. I invariably make a mess, and that way, I make new discoveries too.

I was always a daydreamer and grew up immersed in an imaginative world, and books created a freedom that has never really left me. I love the magic that stories and illustrations can conjure up, and I like to play with the boundaries between real and imagination in my stories, keeping them both grounded in the familiarities of childhood, while straying into the imaginative world. I also love a bit of off-beat humour with a twist of the absurd. I like to bring my design background into my work, focusing on the interplay of colours, with bold and striking compositions, and rich mark-making.

 

When I'm not making art, I love to knit, sew, go for long walks, scour charity shops, and car-boot sales for treasures, which help inspire stories! ​

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Children's Illustrator and Author, Ella Beech sitting in a graveyard, sitting and sketching in Cambridge, UK

A bit more about me...

Hand-painted watercolour and acrylic illustration of Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael and John flying over London, from “All the World’s a Stage: Peter Pan,” illustrated by Children's Illustrator and Author Ella Beech based in Cambridge, UK

I thought I would be an “artist” when I grew up

I followed the "artist" trajectory for most of my young adult life: Art GCSE and A-Level, an extremely exciting and fulfilling year doing a Foundation Course in Art and Design at Wimbledon School of Art and then I went on to do a BA in Fine Art Painting at Winchester School of Art.

Reality

I remember clearly the moment I realised I had no idea how to be an artist after graduation. The idea of getting a studio and just painting felt utterly out of reach to me, as I had to pay rent and buy food and stuff! So by chance, I got a "stop-gap'“ job that happened to be in…

Children's Books

And somehow, I ended up staying for 21 years! It was an amazing experience, and I wouldn’t swap it, but it did rather scupper my plans of becoming an artist. I worked mainly in Pre-School publishing, working my way up from Design assistant, Designer, Senior Designer and eventually to Art Director. Before I left I worked for four years heading up the Pre-School and Novelty book Imprint Campbell Books (an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Books).

Leap of faith

There wasn’t one lightbulb moment, more like a slow yearning to be creative that just got too loud to ignore any more. I realised that I wasn’t getting any younger, and it felt like my creative aspirations were slipping silently away. So, in 2019 I gave in my notice! I applied to do the prestigious MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art - and wow, what an amazing two-and-a-half years that was! It was truly magical to devote myself full-time to my creative development with a group of equally dedicated and excited people. During those two and a half years I learned how to move from drawing purely from observation to painting from my imagination, I found my "creative voice" that I continue to work in today.

Hand-painted watercolour and acrylic illustration of Vincent Van Gogh painting blossom in an apple orchard, with paints and brushes nearby and a cat watching. From “Dear Vincent,” illustrated by Children's Illustrator and Author Ella Beech based in Cambridge, UK
Hand-painted watercolour and acrylic illustration of water buffalos in a river with birds flying around, and pelicans in the river, from “Rewild the World at Bedtime” by Children's Illustrator and Author Ella Beech based in Cambridge, UK

And beyond...

Since graduating in 2022, I've illustrated five published children's books: The Night Before Christmas (The Folio Society), Rewild The World at Bedtime (Wide Eyed Editions), Dear Vincent (Thames & Hudson), A Very New York Christmas! (DK), and All the World's a Stage: Peter Pan, with All the World's a Stage: Cinderella publishing in September and further titles to follow. 

 

The Night Before Christmas was shortlisted for the V&A Illustration Awards in the Illustration for Children category in 2024. Dear Vincent was chosen as one of the Picture Books of the Month in The Observer in September 2024, described as tender and thought-provoking in Kirkus Reviews, and selected for the BolognaRagazzi Amazing Bookshelf 2025. You can see more about each book in my portfolio.


I'm currently working on my debut as author and illustrator with Thames & Hudson, represented by Neil Dunnicliffe at Spring Literary.


As well as the illustration work, I work as a part-time Associate Lecturer on the MA at Cambridge School of Art in Children's Book Illustration - yes, the same MA I did in 2019! I also sell original artwork, archival prints and zines over in my shop.

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I'm represented by Neil Dunnicliffe at Spring Literary, and am currently working on my first book as both author and illustrator.​

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Let's work together!

For work inquiries, or to say hello, send me an email. I love to chat!

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For picture book and illustration commissions, please contact my agent Neil Dunnicliffe at Spring Literary.

Children's Illustrator and author Ella Beech sitting at desk, drinking a cup of tea, working in her studio based in Cambridge, UK.

Clients

Folio Society Logo
Thames & Hudson Logo
Wide Eyed Logo
Magic Cat Logo
DK Logo

Awards and other

  • 2025 Selected for The BRAW Amazing Bookshelf, BolognaRagazzi Awards, Dear Vincent

  • 2025 Peters Children's Book of the Year, Shortlisted:

    • Non-fiction category: Dear Vincent

    • Non-fiction category: Rewild The World at Bedtime 

  • 2024 ABCD Awards, Shortlisted Children's 6 - 12: Dear Vincent 

  • 2024 British Book Design and Production Awards, Literature category. Highly Commended: The Night Before Christmas (The Folio Society)

    • 2024, V&A Awards, Illustration for Children category. Shortlisted:     The Night Before Christmas (The Folio Society)

  • 2022, Macmillan Prize for Illustration - highly commended: MA project (The Prince who wanted the Moon)

  • 2021, Bologna Illustrators Exhibition - finalist​

  • 2021 - Picture Hooks competition, From Seed to Table, Summer Surprises - runner up

The Night Before Christmas by Illustrator Ella Beech

Exhibitions and events

Rewild the World at Bedtime by Illustrator Ella Beech Iberian_Lynx's

  • April 16 - July 12 2025 - Exhibition: The Art of Folio , Society of Illustrators, New York.

  • 2024 Bologna Masterclass - Building the 3 C’S - Craft, Community and Career - through education and shared Experiences. Panel with Shelley Ann Jackson, Associate Professor, Course Leader, MA Children's Book Illustration; Rachel Bostick, illustrator.

  • 2024 Bologna Portfolio Reviews.

  • 2023 Exhibition - Black Shuck Festival

  • 2023 Panelist Dog Eared Children's Book Festival, What Do Publishers Do All Day?

  • 2023 Panelist Dog Eared Children's Book Festival,Trends in Publishing

Experience

2022 - present 
Associate Lecturer 
Cambridge School of Art, Children’s Book Illustration MA 

I work as a part-time Associate Lecturer, which largely consists of individual and group tutorials, including mid and end-of-module review sessions. 

  • Lectures: Trends in Publishing

  • Talks: Misc (1-2 per term, in-class talks about my MA and illustration experience)

  • workshops: Mark-making, Covers, InDesign  

2015 - 2019 
Head of Campbell Books
Macmillan Children's Books

As  Head of Campbell Books, my job was to provide creative vision for Campbell’s publishing proramme and growth for the UK, Export and Co-Edition markets. I managed the design and editorial team and publishing programme to deliver a list of over 50 books a year. In that time my strategy was to grow our publishing space and range of books we were offering. I introduced a number of new strands to our range, including Non-Fiction, and First Experiences.

2008 - 2016
Head of Design and Art Director
Campbell Books, imprint of Macmillan Children's Books

As Head of Design and Art Director for Campbell Children’s Books, I headed up the Design team for seven and a half years.  During that time I managed the delivery of the main publishing programme, as well as books for three Licenced properties. Whist working in my senior management role, I continued to design and commission between 8 -15 books per year.

 

In 2013 I worked on the creation and delivery of the re-branding of the Campbell list. I designed the new logo by hand, and created the new look and styling of the list, a lot if it originally done by hand. I oversaw the creation of a Style Guide, and became “brand champion” of the new look.

1999 - 2008
Various roles, Children's Publishing

Education

2019 - 2022
MA, Children's Book Illustration
Cambridge School of Art
1996 - 1999
BA, Fine Art, Painting 
Winchester School of Art
1995 - 1996
B-Tech Diploma in Art and Design, Foundation Studies
Wimbledon School of Art
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Hand Painted Lettering that says Gather • Filter • Make, with a spot image painting of two hands reaching towards paint tins by Children's Illustrator, Ella Beech based in Cambridge, specialising in hand illustrated children's picturebooks.

Ella Beech is a children’s book author, illustrator and artist based in Cambridge, UK. Explore her portfolio, shop illustrated prints, or join her Substack for behind-the-scenes.

©2025 by Ella Beech

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