As one of the leading children's illustration agencies in the world, Plum Pudding is known
for being one of the most dynamic, passionate and proactive agencies around, representing
some of the most talented children's illustrators from across the globe.
Plum Pudding was built on the desire to give something back to the illustrators working
in the children's publishing world, to create a home for artists who wanted to be represented
by an agency that was not only hungry for and proactive in finding them the very best opportunities
and commissions the industry has to offer, but one that has a real empathy with what it is like to be
an illustrator in today's constantly changing publishing world. Plum Pudding is more than just an
agency, we are an illustration community and the fantastic relationships that we have with all of our
artists is testament to this. We believe that as an artist your agent should be an extension of yourself
and provide support and guidance on every level, from artists just starting out and wanting advice, development and an introduction to the publishing world, to those who are supremely well established and simply need their business and promotional needs taken care of, leaving them free to do what they do best, illustrate! We represent a diverse range of artists and work with a vast array of clients from across the globe and as a children's illustration agency exclusively we have an intrinsic understanding of the children's publishing world and all of its markets. We are specialised in our approach therefore and we understand that these markets are ever changing, inclusive of the growth of digital publishing, and are constantly looking to adapt this approach and move with the times to deliver, and meet both our clients' and artists' needs. Plum Pudding is an agency built on passion and relationships: we treat clients and artists like the business partners that they are, but fueled by our inherent love of children's illustration we go above and beyond to become more than that.
'Plum Pudding has a passion and a diversity. At last! A fresh and instinctive approach to illustration. For input alone, the best agency I've worked with in some time' Clare Cartey, Hodder Children's Books
Mark has lost his hair over the past twenty years. Ironically, this coincides with his career in children's publishing! As a 1980's art student Mark had a lot of hair, arguably too much hair! Post graduation as a Fashion and Furnishing Fabric Designer, (something reflected in his taste in flowery shirts), he worked in print and then shuffled sideways, and then further sideways, until finding his natural home in children's publishing. Having settled in children's books, he has been a designer at a variety of children's publishers, including Walker Books, Egmont and Orchard Books before becoming the Art Director at Meadowside and having the ceaseless delight of seeing wonderful artwork daily. Finally meglamania brought him to establishing Plum Pudding in his back bedroom. Within two years there were more people arriving for work at Plum Pudding in the morning, and the business had increased turnover tenfold. Privately he'll confess that he's a frustrated illustrator himself: "If I had the talent in these hands...'. For Mark, PP is more than an occupation, it's his world, and what makes it unique is the strength of the relationships he and the team have established with the clients they work with and the artists they represent. And that's really all he ever set out to do: meet wonderful people and be involved in making wonderful products for children. As Mark often tells his sons, the thing that has made Daddy happiest in his life, is the ability to read. And that remains his greatest pleasure: a cup of tea, a bit of quiet and a book for a while. Oh, and he wants an English Pointer dog!
Hannah studied Illustration and Animation at university and became represented by Plum Pudding as an artist shortly after. After a tasty internship at Little Tiger Press she realised that she had a penchant for the other side of the publishing desk and she started her career in publishing as Editorial Assistant at Book Guild Publishing, fulfilling her ceaseless desire to edit everything! It all miraculously came together when she was offered a position as Trainee Agent at Plum Pudding, and now, 3 years on, she is the Associate Director here. Her favourite things about Plum Pudding are nailing that first cracker of a project for a new artist, the lasting friendships she has developed with artists through working so closely with them and pinging elastic bands across the office at Mark. As a published and working illustrator she has a real empathy with the artists here, though juggling her illustration projects in and around her PP life has turned her a little crazy over time! Crazy but pretty darn happy!
Andrea has worked in publishing ever since leaving university 15 years ago, starting out as a freelance illustrator, before becoming a designer at Walker Books and later, Art Director at Little Tiger Press. Now she is responsible for everything design here at Plum Pudding, including painting the office walls a very nice Farrow and Ball blue colour. She brings to Plum Pudding a wealth of invaluable experience having designed countless children's titles, from novelty, to picture books, to fiction. One of her favourite things about Plum Pudding is being able to work with such a vast array of different illustrators and with them on all their different styles. Outside of the office she is wonderful mum to Jacob and Milo, adores her pilates classes and can eat 10 Jaffa Cakes in 30 seconds!
As our accountant, Michele is our numbers person! She's really good at adding and taking away. Not so good at making tea for everyone, but we're working on that. She can be quite strict but has a heart of gold. She likes shiny things and lots of travel!
Want to work for us? We offer an internship here at Plum Pudding, so if you are interested in getting a bit of work experience in the publishing world drop us a mail at letterbox@plumpuddingillustration.com
