Beverley Naidoo (Author)
South African author Beverley Naidoo was exiled from her home country when she was a student in 1965, for campaigning against apartheid. Her first children's novel, JOURNEY TO JO'BURG, was banned in South Africa when it was published in 1985 and only available there after the release of Nelson Mandela from jail in 1991. It was however published in many other countries around the world and widely praised for its eloquent, moving and accessible story. Her later novel, THE OTHER SIDE OF TRUTH, won the Carnegie Medal in 2000 and she has written many other acclaimed books for children. Beverley lives in the UK.

Ngadi Smart (Illustrator)
Ngadi Smart is a Sierra-Leonean visual artist and designer based between London, UK, and Abidjan, C te d'Ivoire. Her practice consists of illustration, photography and design. She also works as a mixed-media artist, primarily in the form of collage art. In her illustration work, she is motivated by the representation of minorities, highlighting cultural identity and racial discrimination, as well as themes on feminism and gender roles. She likes to deconstruct mainstream society's views of what is 'normal', 'beautiful' and 'right'. She has illustrated for the Atlantic, Time Out London, Eastpak and the Guardian, among others.