Hortense and the Shadow

Natalia and Lauren are two sisters from the North of England. In the daytime they edit scripts and design sets, and at night they draw and write together. As children they loved fairytales, animal fables and the stories their Polish grandmother told on snowy nights. Hortense and the Shadow is their first picture book.

Lauren O’Hara is an illustrator from the north of England. As well as collaborating with her sister, Natalia, on The Bandit Queen and Hortense and the Shadow she has illustrated books by Sophie Dahl, Vivian French, and the Royal Opera House. Lauren has twice been nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway award. Her book Madame Badobedah with author Sophie Dahl was the Guardian’s Book of the year, and Frindleswylde by Natalia O’Hara was awarded the Children’s Books Ireland Illustration Honour award.