Illustration mini-series (Pt.1) :: Sara Fanelli

One of the loveliest things about my job is that it provides a bona fide excuse for hanging out in the children’s department of any given bookshop. The writerly part of me feels quite justified browsing and buying from the middle-grade and YA sections, while my arty parts love to do the same in picture books. Not that I don’t loiter, peruse and purchase in the grown-up sections, too, it’s just you miss out on some pretty good stuff if you don’t spread your wings.

It was in the children’s department that I first found and fell in love with a Sara Fanelli book. A re-telling of Pinocchio, the book was hardcover and in its own sleeve (just to make it even more covetable) and my very sweet boyfriend snapped up a copy for me there and then.

I was, and still am, smitten by the wonderful combination of collage, scratchy pencil, ink and painty-ness (yeah, I know what I’m talking about…), along with beautifully random hand-lettering.

As well as a bunch of other picture books, including Mythological Monsters and My Map Book, you might have spotted Sara’s work on stamps, theatre posters, a Pizza Express menu or even at the Tate.

For me, though, it’s mostly about the picture books. Unless you have a spare £200-300 to buy a print, or the chutzpah to pinch a pizza menu, they’re absolutely the best way to bag a little piece of her beautiful work for yourself.

Kirsty x