These are the people who work hard to create the Priddy books that you love
About Amy...
As a little girl, Amy read every one of Noddy’s Adventures in Toyland as she pedalled around in her very own Noddy car. A little later, Amy switched her attentions from Noddy to Adam Ant, and she dreamt of becoming the Stand and Deliver star’s make-up artist. This was long before she began her career in book production. In her spare time Amy loves baking, hand-painting and going on adventures with her two-year old daughter Lois. When Lois is sleeping, she likes to relax by reading, watching films and doing pilates.
About Barbi...
Barbi had dreams of setting herself up as a successful caricature artist in London’s Leicester Square, but her love of children’s books, especially Fungus the Bogeyman, led her to publishing design instead. Barbi loves going to exhibitions and gigs, and dreams of spotting her idols Graham Coxon or Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen on the street. Collecting postcards, taking photographs and watching Back to the Future 1 and 2 (but not 3) make for a happy Barbi.
About Cath...
When Cath is not busy as our senior production controller, she is a DIY and home-improvement superstar. She is particularly proud of her garden, which she is currently redesigning complete with wormery, herb garden, pond, vegetable patch and most importantly, a shed. Baking, camping, comedy and crafts feature highly on Cath’s list of favourite things to do. Cath’s number one children’s book is Bears in the Night, by Stan Berenstein, which she is looking forward to reading to her new baby.
About Chris...
Chris could have been a policeman like his TV hero Gene Hunt, but instead he left school in the Life on Mars era and began a career selling books. Like many of His Generation he’s a big fan of The Who, and loves nothing better than sitting down with a box set of Alfred Hitchcock films and a big plate of proper fish and chips. Two sons at university keep him youthful and he’ll work off all those chips by walking with his partner, their baby daughter and a dog called Tess.
About Daniel...
Daniel wanted to be a stuntman but it didn't go well with his fear of heights, so he decided to work in the much safer world of publishing! He enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure of reading kids' books under the cover of 'research' and loves any book that brings a tear to the eye. When not reading, he can be found enjoying scenic strolls around London and catching repeats of the Big Bang Theory.
About Emily...
Emily lives in Australia. She once dreamt of becoming a tennis commentator, but found her calling selling children’s books. She’s a big fan of travelling, reading, shopping and playing with her beautiful dog Idgit, a twelve year old Jack Russell/Fox Terrier. Emily has always loved animals – Animalia by Graeme Base was her favourite book as a child.
About Emma...
Growing up, Emma had ideas of being a helicopter pilot or failing that, a librarian. Luckily she found a happy medium selling Priddy Books to international publishers. Her favourite books as a child were the Magic Faraway Tree books and anything by Judy Blume. Emma confesses to suffering from an incredibly sweet tooth, as well as an addiction to cheese. She has an extraordinary talent for z-list celebrity spotting, which she perfects whilst waiting for a bus in Crouch End.
About Holly...
As a child Holly hoped that she would grow up to be a Tiger. This may or may not have been a result of reading The Tiger Who Came to Tea over and over again. Luckily for us, she came to terms with her lack of stripes and whiskers and headed for children’s book design instead. Holly enjoys photography, watching films – her favourite is The Royal Tenenbaums – and she is very proud of her collection of wooden letters. Holly chills out by listening to soul and motown music.
About Holly...
Holly once wanted to design clothes but luckily for us, she chose books instead – her childhood favourite was ‘The 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race.' She’s creative in her spare time too, doodling and knitting between shopping trips and supporting the Saracens rugby team. Holly’s favourite foods are mango, mashed potato and chocolate and she’ll be posting a recipe using those ingredients soon. Did we mention that she's a secret Take That fan? We didn't? Okay, that's alright then.
About Jo...
Jo is a creative type – whilst growing up she always had a sketchpad close to hand to scribble on. Setting her sights on publishing, Jo found her calling designing children’s books. She has recently taken the plunge and traded her sketchpad for an iPad, much to the envy of everyone in the office. A perfect evening for Jo would involve home-cooked Thai food, chocolate treats and some classic Carry On re-runs. A Christmas Carol is Jo’s number one children’s book and she chills out listening to Placebo, George Michael and the occasional Only Fools and Horses audio book.
About Kate...
Kate’s childhood dreams of becoming a nun (following an obsession with the Sound of Music and Sister Act films) were sadly not meant to be, nor was her brief wish to be a professional boxer. Lucky for us she found her calling in children’s books. Kate enjoys dancing, daydreaming and listening to music on her walk to work – Lana del Rey is a particular favourite at the moment, but she also still harbours a secret pleasure for gospel music. Top of Kate’s viewing list are True Romance, The Beat That My Heart Skipped, and any Brat Pack film... she’s a romantic at heart.
About Katherine...
Growing up, Katherine wanted to be a gymnast or to swim with dolphins for a living, but she finally found her calling as a graphic designer. Her all-time favourite children’s book is Funny Bones. She also loves Monsters Inc., and is a big Indie rock fan. When it comes to food, Katherine thinks there is nothing better than a Thai curry with a pint of cider on the side and some Percy Pigs for dessert. She still enjoys trampolining and lives by the sea in Brighton, but has yet to find any dolphins to swim with.
About Kayleigh...
When Kayleigh’s childhood dreams of becoming a ballerina fell through (due to an unfortunate case of two left feet), she came to work at Priddy Books. Originally from Yorkshire, she likes to return home for a Sunday Roast with lots of gravy as often as possible. Kayleigh enjoys road trips, music festivals and visiting sunny countries, but is equally happy reading a good book or eating nutella straight from the jar with a spoon. A perfect weekend for Kayleigh would involve shopping, watching films and riding roller coasters.
About Leyna...
Leyna had dreams of working in a shop when she was little, but the reality of this job soon had her turning to children’s publishing. Having read all of Enid Blyton books, she embarked on her career as production controller at Priddy Books. She recently moved back to her home town of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, away from the hustle and bustle of London. She enjoys pilates and shopping at every opportunity and you can always count on Leyna to have all of the latest fashion voucher codes.
About Liz...
Liz had dreams of being an Olympic athlete or world-famous chef, but found her true calling working as a marketing manager in publishing. She still indulges her passion for food and cooking by watching endless episodes of Masterchef, but has dropped all hope of ever being an athlete. Liz’s favourite place in the world is San Sebastian in Spain, and most-read book is The Little Prince. Liz lives in Hampshire with her daughter, Kitty, and a soppy black Labrador called Molly.
About Louisa...
As a child Louisa’s favourite book was Lulu and the Flying Babies by Posy Simmonds. She hoped that one day she too would have an adventure with some flying babies. She is still waiting. In the meantime Louisa is more than happy as our marketing assistant. Baking and shopping keeps her busy, as does a pledge to visit as many of London’s historical sights as possible. The summer is Louisa’s favourite time of year, when she enjoys surfing, swimming and sorbet.
About Nat...
Nat is our marvelous managing editor. As a child, her favourite book was either Ballet Shoes or The Twits, although the latter left her with a horrific, but mostly irrational, fear of finding old cornflakes in beards. Having said that, Nat will eat just about anything – as long as there’s no cheese in it. She likes to fill her free time by socialising with friends, reading, cooking and watching cookery programmes, doing research for her wedding and listening to music. She’s also knitting a scarf, or attempting to – two years down the line, it’s still a work in progress!
About Nicola...
Nicola always wanted to be a marine biologist, but despite repeated viewings of Finding Nemo, it was simply not to be. Instead, reading Roald Dahl's BFG led her to join Priddy Books as one of our team of talented designers. Having recently overcome an allergy to chocolate cake, she is making up for lost time by eating it at every opportunity. Amateur theatre productions keep Nicola busy in her free time, applying the 'method' by listening to the Glee soundtrack in between rehearsals.
About Pip...
Pip is our production manager. Growing up, she dreamed of becoming Wonder Woman or a fashion designer (basically anything with pretty accessories) but soon realised she was at her happiest with her nose in a book, and so found her home at Priddy Books. Pip admits to being a hopeless romantic and likes nothing more than curling up with some home baking, When Harry Met Sally and a glass of red wine. Pip’s favourite book as a child was The Avocado Baby, she enjoys listening to anything from Bloc Party to Cheryl Cole, and to a lesser degree supporting Spurs!
About Robert...
Rob is the font of all design knowledge at Priddy Books. He always wanted to be a graphic designer, but also admits a passion for cars and DIY. Other than the Screwfix catalogue, Rob’s all-time favourite book is the 1968 Beano Annual, which he will happily read from cover to cover. Rob escapes the chaos of London every day to his home in Suffolk, where a relaxing evening involves watching his number one film – Pulp Fiction – and eating doughnuts. When it comes to music, Rob loves rocking out to Forty Licks by The Rolling Stones.
About Roger...
Roger set up Priddy Books in 2000 having finally realised that he wasn't going to be a famous artist or a celebrity TV chef. He still loves baking bread, cakes and biscuits, ideally while watching any sport that happens to be on TV. His other passion is gardening, where he attempts to grow enough vegetables to feed his family. Sadly, the local slugs and birds seem to benefit from his crop more than anyone else. He cycles to work most days to try and keep fit - not easy when you love baking as much he does! Roger lives in London with his wife Zena, their four children and two dogs.
About Sally...
Sally wanted to be a vet or a librarian growing up, but found her calling in children’s books. She still loves animals – Charlie the dog is her faithful companion – and satisfies her love of reading and order with her own complicated number-pot alphabetizing system at home. When she’s not got her nose in an Agatha Christie, Sally enjoys talking, watching films – especially Four Weddings and a Funeral – and listening to music. Sally can always be found sipping on her favourite coffee, a cappuccino, in the morning.
About Sarah...
When Sarah was younger she wanted to become a highflying journalist just like Lois Lane. But she steered away from the path of journalism (and caped crusaders) and headed straight for editorial in publishing. Her favourite children’s book is Quentin Blake’s Mister Magnolia. After a recent trip to Japan Sarah has become obsessed with Studio Ghibli films, anime, cute stickers and of course Sushi! She also loves gaming, comic books, shoe shopping and eating cheese, all to a mixtape of Jenny Lewis, Johnny Flynn and Neil Young.
About Sarah...
Sarah sells Priddy books into wild and exotic corners of the earth, which is why she spends quite a bit of time dressed as a tiger. When she was small, she wanted to be an explorer and travel the globe, like Indiana Jones. She is pleased to discover that working in international sales offers all of the adventures she ever hoped for. Other than animals, Sarah loves riding her bike, baking cakes, and reading as many books as she can get her hands on. Sarah lives in London with her grumpy cat Suzie and her husband (in order of importance).
About Summer...
As a child, Summer’s favourite book was Eloise, and as a result she had dreams of moving to New York City and living in the Plaza Hotel. As the marketing coordinator in the New York office, she likes to think she’s halfway there. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, going to Broadway musicals, and browsing through Wikipedia. She loves coffee, ice cream, and coffee ice cream, and her favourite time of year is when it gets cold enough to wear tights under dresses.
About Tarryn...
Tarryn lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her family and two pugs, Scooby Doo (with an affinity for left socks) and Pickles (uncanny resemblance to a Rhinoceros). Tarryn still has all her own hair and once ran a ten kilometre race without dying (once). She has worked out a fire drill in case of emergency, with objects to be removed from burning building in the following order: books, back inside for bookshelf, hastily run inside for pets, remember that there is something she forgot, run back inside for family members. Will sell her soul for ‘just ten more minutes’ of sleep.
