Alice Albinia read English literature at Cambridge and South Asian history at SOAS, then worked for two years in Delhi as a journalist, critic and editor. Her first book, Empires of the Indus, was written during a journey through Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Tibet. She won a Royal Society of Literature Award for it and has since gone on to write a number of award-winning books for adults. Once Upon an Island is her first book for children, and while researching it, Albinia interviewed people from every island featured in its pages. Helen Cann is an illustrator specializing in hand-drawn mapping, children’s books, drawing, and lettering. She has contributed to over 30 books, won several awards, and exhibited around the world. Her book illustrations are mainly hand-produced using watercolor, collage, and graphite, and have been used in picture books, anthologies, and chapter books. Cann’s illustrations, drawings, and lettering have also been commissioned for business branding, ceramic designs, and as props for TV and film. She currently works in a sunny studio by the sea in Brighton, UK.
