Steve Augarde

Steve Augarde is a children's author, illustrator, and paper-engineer who has been working in the industry for over thirty years. Born in Birmingham, England, Augarde has an art college background and has been working as an illustrator, author, and semi-professional musician since his late teens. He has also worked in advertising, merchandising, and animation.

Augarde's work as an illustrator and paper-engineer can be seen in many pop-up books, including those by other artists and children's authors such as Jan Pienkowski, Emma Chichester-Clark, and Damien Hirst. He has also produced the artwork and music for two BBC children's television series featuring Bump the elephant.

As an author, Augarde is best known for his Touchstone Trilogy, which includes "The Various," "Celandine," and "Winter Wood." "The Various" was a winner in the Nestle Smarties Book Prize in 2003, and both "Celandine" and "Winter Wood" have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal. His latest novel, "X Isle," is now available in the US, as of July 2010. Augarde's blog, SteveAugarde.blogspot.com, provides updates on his work.