After a brilliant World Book Day 2025, we caught up with some of our amazing authors and illustrators to hear what they’ve been up to – and what exciting projects they have coming up.
They’ve have also helped create a fantastic list of book recommendations – perfect for finding your next read.
Anita Mangan
Since World Book Day, our next book The Fart That Saved The Universe was published on the 8th of May and we did interviews and I was excited to have my illustrations on the cover of The Week Junior Magazine! We did events including getting 900 children at Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival to scream – that was LOUD, I can tell you! I also ran drawing workshops at Goodwoof Festival and we are coming to Barnes Children’s Literary Festival on Saturday 21st June, so I might bring some ear defenders…
I’ve now started drawing some of the characters for our next Christmas book… out in October! And Stephen and I start filming Celebrity Gogglebox this weekend.
Paddy Donnelly
Badger Books isn’t a bookshop just for badgers. It’s owned by a badger, who can find any book, for any animal. From cats to crocodiles, bears to blue whales and 
pandas to peacocks. But sometimes he can be a little grumpy, especially when Rory, the little fox from next door, comes in asking for a book that doesn’t exist…
A book I read recently, and absolutely loved, is I’m Gonna Eat A Monster by Kael Tudor and Scott Wilson. The story is hilarious, with just the right amount of darkness and peril for the characters. The illustrations are delightfully messy and scratchy, which I love.
(Paddy’s latest book, Badger Books, was published this month)
Ben Dean
Since World Book Day, Ben Dean participated in a panel event at Waterstones Piccadilly titled ‘From online to on the shelf’ alongside YA authors Eden Victoria, Busayo Matuluko, and Andy Darcy Theo. He has several festival appearances lined up across the UK this autumn, but largely he’s been busy meeting deadlines to deliver the next must-read YA…
Ben recommends The Goldens by Lauren Wilson, a book he’s currently reading and absolutely loving!
Bury Your Friends by Benjamin Dean will be available from all good bookshops from 14th August 2025.
Jennifer Swanson
I have been doing a bunch of virtual visits with schools to talk about my DK/LEGO book. And I am very excited about my next book that comes out August 12th: The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World by Dylan Thuras and myself. It is illustrated by Ruby Fresson. This book is so cool! It follows awesome STEM inventions throughout history and shows how they are all interconnected. Perfect for a curious kid of any age.
If you would like to hear more from our 2025 authors and illustrators on their favourite places to read, reading top tips and book recommendations, watch videos from our playlist below.
