Ever fancied producing a children’s book? Open to adults and families alike, this interactive workshop with artist Onyinye Iwu will introduce you to children’s book illustration, with an additional focus on representation and the publishing process.

Onyinye Iwu is an accomplished artist who creates vibrant, colourful images that celebrate the representation of people of African and Caribbean heritage.

 The books she has illustrated include My Skin, Your Skin: Let’s talk about race, racism and empowerment, the Too Small Tola series and, coming up in April 2022, We Sang Across the Sea: The Empire Windrush and Me, an inspiring picture book story from Benjamin Zephaniah.

Onyinye Iwu is a trained secondary school teacher and freelance illustrator. She was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and moved to the UK as a teenager. She has a first degree in Architecture, a Postgraduate Education certificate in Design Technology and a Masters degree in Culture Diaspora Ethnicity.

She pursued a career in teaching since 2014 with the aim of being a role model to young black people living in the diaspora and inspiring them to achieve greatness.

Onyinye has practised as a freelance illustrator and designer since 2013 working on a range of design briefs and projects but mainly focusing on the representation of people of African and Caribbean background in publishing, media and the arts.

Onyinye is a Trustee of the charity Igbo studies Initiative and has worked with a wide range of publishers, establishments, companies and literary organisations as an Illustrator and author. She offers consultancy and training to schools and their staff on: Race, Identity and Anti-Racism, as well as Decolonising the Curriculum.