Farah was born in West Yorkshire, but currently lives in the south of England.
She has graduated with two degrees;
First-Class Honours degree in Graphics Design, Illustration and Digital media from the Bradford School of Art.
Masters degree in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art.
Since completing her degrees, Farah has become a full-time author/illustrator and picture book maker. When she is not at her kitchen table, then you can often find her travelling around the UK in search of sun, sea and a bit of inspiration.
Fun facts about me:
♦ I own over 300 pencils.
♦ My name in Arabic means "Joy".
♦ Fave food is Toast and Jam.
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Published Books:
TBC
The Line, by Swapna Haddow, Scholastic, publishing July 2026
Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle, by Laura Sassi, Paraclete Press, published July 2025
The Christmas Tree Mouse, by Joseph Coelho, Puffin Books, published October 2024
Clients include: Scholastic, Puffin Books (Penguin Random House), Paraclete Press, Hachette Children's Group, Schofield and Simms & more.
Awards:
Klaus Fluge Prize 2025, Longlisted: The Christmas Tree Mouse by Jospeh Coelho
lndie Book of the Month, December 2024: The Christmas Tree Mouse by Joseph Coelho
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For author/illustration enquires, please contact Emily Talbot at United Agents
For all other enquiries, please contact me directly at hello@fawashah.co.uk
Find selected posts on Instagram
Testimonials:
Scholastic
“The design and editorial team worked with Farah Shah on the development of an interactive, non-fiction project. Farah has a vibrant, detailed illustrative style and a fantastic working ethic and is incredibly patient, talented and hardworking. She is able to amend illustrations quickly and we were delighted with her calm approach and professional manner. These traits are immensely valuable for an illustrator working within a fast-paced industry like publishing.”
Booklife Publishing
“Farah is a punctual and accommodating illustrator, and we are very pleased with the work she has done for us. She illustrated a children’s book with professionalism and style, and performed amends to fit our needs promptly and exactly as we wanted them. She is a pleasant individual to work with, and we would be happy to work with her again in the future.”