Well, you can’t be the editor of a book filled with illustration and go to a major illustration awards ceremony and NOT network with illustrators, right? When I went to Images 34 the other night, it was a great opportunity not only to see a whole range of interesting work but I got the chance to meet some illustrators who I’ve covered in the past but never met in the flesh. One of them was Simon Pemberton, whose work was featured in an article about book illustration I did for Computer Arts Projects a couple of years ago. He’d just won the gold award in book illustration for his imagery for The Folio Society’s reprinting of Songlines by Bruce Chatwin. Simon’s work is enchanting – simple yet full of depth. Maybe it’s because of the way he uses tone and colour, and the juxtaposition of space and detail? And maybe I sound like a puff-ball art critic saying things like that?

Anyway, yesterday I dropped Simon a line and invited him to be a part of Memories, and he said ‘yes’. He’s had quite a bit of personal experience of cancer, losing a grandfather to leukaemia and an aunt to cancer as well. We were very sorry to hear that. However we’re really pleased that Simon will be creating something for Memories. Please check out his portfolio here. The image you see above is one of the many amazing pieces he did for Songlines.