Levi Pinfold's illustrations are spellbinding. He's an exceptional artist who's brought Harry's world alive in a unique and wonderful way - J.K. Rowling

We've updated Levi's portfolio with six new images plus the cover and will reveal more of the stunning work after publication on 6th October 2026.

You can pre-order a copy of the book with 30% off and get a free tote bag featuring the cover on Bloomsbury's website here.

You can find out more on our first announcement news article.

We’re thrilled to showcase the newly revealed cover for the fully illustrated gift edition of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, illustrated by the exceptional Levi Pinfold.

We’re extremely proud to unveil Gaia Alessi’s first picture book, a stunning re-telling of the classic Greek myth, Little Minotaur. Halloween marks the debut middle-grade novel from Dotty Sutton, Moth the Veggie Vampire , launching a darkly comic series packed with her hilariously wacky artwork. Alex T.Smith presents... J. Algernon Pickle in… The Mystery of Odd-Doings House, introducing its resident detective who just happens to be a beaver! And his much-loved mouse, Winston, sets sail for New York in his third festive adventure, How Winston Delivered a Christmas Wish.

We look forward to another ambitious year - building series, launching new worlds, and collaborating with brilliant publishers. If this wasn’t quite tantalising enough you can enjoy THE EXTENDED VERSION. Enjoy!

We would be more than happy to help you choose the perfect creative for your project so please call us on 020 8555 9827 or email us: info@arenaillustration.com, we look forward to speaking to you. Keep up to date with our weekly news articles by subscribing to our newsletter.

So, let’s find out more about this sequel…

Spike and Merry are back and they've swapped rainy Britain for the sun-soaked streets of Greece. A cursed Medusa painting is up for auction, and there's just one very deadly catch: look at it directly, and you won't live to regret it. When a bidder turns up dead and the painting's owner vanishes without a trace, the twins have no choice but to do what they do best - bend time and get sleuthing. But is this really an ancient curse at work, or is something far more human behind it all?

You can grab a copy of A Clock Strikes Murder, published by Simon and Schuster.

(More exciting Natalie news following later this year, keep your eyes peeled). Check out Natalie's portfolio and delve into both books in the series by Michelle Harrison HERE. Natalie can be found on Instagram at @natsmiliedraws where she shares sneak peeks, new projects and some wonderful insights into her sketchbook work. For more information about her work and potential collaborations please email info@arenaillustration.com

In February, The Observer commissioned award-winning artist Richard Johnson to create a very special piece of artwork in anticipation of an abundance of activity in the night sky. The unusual brief requested a simple seek-and-find puzzle hidden within a visually arresting double page spread celebrating the South Downs Dark Skies Festival. For those of you who are familiar with this kind of puzzle you will know that they can sometimes be infuriating, but this one was nothing but a joy to escape into.

Hidden within the landscape beneath the star-strewn sky, readers were challenged to find among other things, a badger, a space rocket flask, a telescope and a scotch egg!

Richard’s trademark dreamlike style and luminescent colour palette have lent themselves perfectly to this project and the end results are simply breath-taking.

You can find Richard in Instagram, you can also view his online portfolio here.

For more information regarding collaborating with Richard please email info@arenaillustration.com or give us a call, we’d be more than happy to introduce you to our lovely illustrators 020 8555 9827. Keep up-to-date with Arena Illustration's talented artists by subscribing to our weekly news.

Ever since the shipwreck, California’s golden coast has been filled with treasure hunters. Each one is after the same thing: the lost diamond necklace. But none are more determined than Cassie Stein. Her dad’s beloved aquarium is falling apart, and they need money – fast! 

While racing to find the treasure before her rival, TJ, Cassie finds something remarkable. A fish, unlike any she has ever seen, that can understand her every word. His name is Blue, and his life is in grave danger.

To save her new friend, Cassie must do the unthinkable – accept TJ’s help. But with the diamond necklace still up for grabs, can she really trust him?

Based in north London, Frances comes from a background in computer game design. As an established illustrator and printmaker, has an innate talent for capturing stories in a single image. Her powerful use of colour and line provides captivating solutions for a wide range of creative projects, including album cover design and commercial advertising campaigns, alongside her work in the publishing industry.

Frances’s signature illustration style, reminiscent of 1950’s and 60’s printmaking, has been featured by numerous clients including The Guardian, BBC History and Wide Eyed Editions. She has also created a series of graphic novels called STAGDALE, which she both wrote and illustrated, you can find those HERE.

Frances was kind enough to spend a moment with us to answer a few of our quick-fire questions, here’s what she had to say.

Can you tell us a bit about your creative working space?

I work in a studio space in near Hackney Wick, East London, that I share with my partner who is a sign maker. It's great in the warmer months, but we have no heating and only cold water, so I have to wrap up warmly in the winter.
 
Your use of colour to evoke atmosphere and emotion are incredible - do you have a favourite colour palette? 

Looking over the work I've done I think my instinct is sometimes to go for a kind of turquoise blue with a complimentary colour like orange or yellow - especially when designing album covers. I do try and push myself from repeating it too often, and I keep an eye out for interesting images with great colour pallettes to inspire me.


Do you have a dream album you would love to design the cover for? 

I don’t think there’s a particular album that’s already been recorded where I can say, “I wish I’d done the cover for that.” For me, it’s more about finding the right musician or musicians to work with - people who are open-minded, full of great ideas, and whose music genuinely inspires me. That’s when I feel I do my best work.


Can you suggest three people we should follow on Instagram?  

 
Transpontinebooks - great for vintage book design and illustration. Csibe_Design - an illustrator/designer I recently discovered whose work I really like. Forgottengraphics - the name says it all.


What are you currently reading and listening to? 

Yesterday I went to the Higgins Museum in Bedford to see an exhibition about Noel Carrington, who played a key role in early children’s publishing and helped establish the Puffin Picture Books at the start of the Second World War, commissioning many brilliant illustrators. In the shop I bought Drawn Direct to the Plate, a book about Carrington and the books he worked on. The title refers to the printing process he used, where illustrators drew straight onto lithographic plates. It’s a fascinating book with lots of lovely illustrations and text.

I'm just starting work on a new LP, so I've been listening to that, trying to generate ideas for the cover.



Do you have a favourite monster? 

Yes - lots of them! From silly ones like the Honey Monster who advertised Sugar Puffs when I was a kid, to classic Universal Monsters and King Kong. 

Hook a copy of Monster Down Deep from your local book shop or via Pushkin Press HERE... and check out the back cover of this book too!

You can find Frances on Instagram or you can view her brilliant portfolio HERE

For more information about collaborating with Frances please drop us a line at info@arenaillustration.com and keep up to date with all our artist's news by signing up to our weekly newsletter!

This week we shine a spotlight on award-winning creative Billy Partridge and welcome you to Kookaway Island and the potion-making prodigy... Eggboy !  This is Billy's gloriously offbeat animated series idea - a bold, character-led world brimming with humour, magic, heart and friendship all set in an surreal wonderland. He has built an entire universe of eccentric personalities, The Potioneers, set in magical environments, with an adventure story that feels ready to leap onto a screen. It's a brilliant example of Billy's instinct for character design and cinematic storytelling. Read more about this project over on Billy portfolio HERE. 

That same instinct runs through everything Billy creates. An award-winning graduate of Leeds Arts University, he quickly scooped the prestigious Society of Artists' Agents  Award for New Talent in the World Illustration Awards 2023, an accolade which helped cement his future career in illustration. His debut graphic novel Hupo and the Wonder Thief, published by Flying Eye Books, announced him as a new major voice in publishing, blending warmth, wit and immersive world-building. 

Now based in Edinburgh, Billy is surrounded by nature, folklore and mythology, and this alongside his passion for animation, cartoons and the work of Studio Ghibli help him create and furnish his imaginary worlds. Each visual adventure is filled with zany beings for which he weaves fantastical stories, capturing the imagination of even the most reluctant of readers. When not rambling in the Scottish Highlands trying to decipher various maps, Billy is a prolific and passionate doodler, working with spontaneity and an integral understanding of visual storytelling.

Billy’s character-led thinking translates seamlessly into publishing, branding, advertising and animation development. His growing client list includes Flying Eye Books, Nexus Studios, Tonko House and Spinmaster Entertainment, while his engaged Instagram following of almost 11k offers a glimpse into the energy behind the scenes - from concept sketches to animated pitch posters and commercial collaborations, including character-driven speculative designs for a range of t-shirts for Nike. 

You can discover more - including Eggboy and Billy's full portfolio - over on our website. Here's a quick link: 

We can’t wait to bring more of Billy’s incredible creations to you because there are many more exciting worlds yet to be discovered (we’d better get a map!)

Grab a copy of Hupo and the Wonder Thief published by Flying Eye Books, you can also pre-order book 2 in the series Hupo and the Doom Lagoon HERE.

Don’t forget to check out Billy and his amazing creations on Instagram and his website.

For more information regarding collaborating with this exciting new creative talent please do drop us a line info@arenaillustration.com, we look forward to hearing from you.

As well as a fantastic opportunity to have these books discovered by whole new audiences, it is a wonderful way to gift children who may not have previously owned a book their very own story to immerse themselves in.

This year we are thrilled to announce that best-selling, award-winning author illustrator team Hannah Gold and Levi Pinfold have created a special additional title in their conservation-based animal series. We can’t imagine a more pivotal time than this to shine a spotlight on so many important, thoughtful, and impactful issues.

Bear Rescue introduces our hero August Wood and invites us to join him on an epic adventure across the Arctic with his friend Blaze the Husky. As the weather takes a turn for the worse and August goes missing, their only hope is April and her companion Bear. They need to track them  and bring them home safely before it’s too late. You can also hear Hannah talking about Bear Rescue over on YouTube.

This seat-gripping story features Levi’s trademark illustrations throughout, showcasing his immense skill for creating epic landscapes and emotion evoking depictions of these majestic animals. Levi works just like a fine art painter, building up translucent layers so that the form evolves through the process and light shines though in his digital paintings You can hear Levi speaking about his creative process and recent projects over on our Vimeo channel.

You may spot our beloved bear out in the wild on billboards across the London underground network, if you spot one, please do send us a photo.

Bear Rescue can be purchased at all good book shops from the 12th February and here is a link to some fantastic activity resources! Enjoy

Congratulations Hannah and Levi, and wishing you all a very happy World Book Day.

You can find Levi’s breathtaking portfolio over on our website, for more information regarding collaborations please email info@arenaillustration.com

Grab your football boots and head to the sidelines, it’s time to take on the intergalactic match of a lifetime!

Out this month, in good time for the FIFA World Cup, The Galaxy World Cup, written by Alan Joyce and illustrated by our very own Aleksei Bitskoff, blasts onto bookshelves courtesy of Chicken House Books. This rip-roaring romp of a read, with a brilliantly bonkers cover illustrations celebrates friendship and team spirit in bucket loads, even when you're spectacularly unqualified.

When aliens mistake schoolboy Nick and his fellow misfits for the world’s greatest football players, they're zapped across the Milky Way to compete in the biggest intergalactic football tournament in the universe... against REAL ALIENS. The only problem? They are NOT the greatest football players on Earth – they’re the WORST! But if they want to go home, they’ll have to lace up their boots and try to actually score a goal . . .

With hilarious chapter “headers” (pun intended) by Aleksei throughout and a back cover that is absolutely teeming  with weird and wonderful alien lifeforms. This side-splitting wacky story will appeal to ages 7-11 and any football fans! During half time why not grab a slice of orange from the coach and read an extract HERE and make sure you enjoy the full match by purchasing a copy of the book HERE.

Aleksei has an innate skill for creating believable engaging characters and dropping them into believable and totally unbelievable situations alike. His intuitive sense of comedy has made him a go-to creative for all manner of projects across a broad range of publishing house.

As a lifelong doodler Aleksei is well travelled and very familiar with drawing inspiration (quite literally) from his surroundings and the characters he meets in everyday life. Based in Surrey, Aleksei takes great pleasure in incorporating his passion for games and puzzles into his work, which often rewards eagle-eyed readers with clever visual details.

You can find Aleksei on Instagram or explore his brilliant online portfolio HERE.

If you are interested in collaborating with Aleksei please drop us a line by emailing info@arenaillustration.com, we would be delighted to talk you through his portfolio.

This series by Thomas Flintham has gone from strength to strength referencing current gaming trends and old school platform games, while at the same time embracing themes of friendship and inclusion.

Branches, aimed at newly independent readers is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and full colour illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina to help readers grow!

With bold, bright illustrations simulating the pixilation of retro games this series is written and illustrated throughout by Thomas Flintham who is through and through a passionate fan of computer games, board games, puzzles and more.

Tom says,

"For me ‘PRESS START!’ is the culmination of a life spent playing games, drawing comics, doodling characters and thinking up stories. It’s a genuine and heartfelt celebration of video games that I hope resonates with game loving readers. That might encourage them to take a break, pause their game for a moment and grab a book. I hope it’s funny, exciting and silly enough to entertain non gamers too. Maybe it could inspire them to grab a controller and press start, beginning a new gaming adventure that will entertain and inspire them for a lifetime too!"

Here is a bit more about the latest instalment…

Meanie King Viking has kidnapped everyone in Animal Town and sent Super Rabbit Boy to another world! With the help of his new friend, Blocky, Super Rabbit Boy learns how to jump through portals that take him to new worlds. Blocky wants to help Super Rabbit Boy get back home, but he's not as good at being a hero. As they keep jumping, each world gets stranger than the last. Will the next jump be the jump home? Can Super Rabbit Boy finally rescue his friends?

You can grab a copy of Press Start: The Super Jump Between Worlds HERE…

Collect them all

Tom is based in Cornwall and as an award-winning illustrator enjoys nothing more than immersing himself in popular culture and comics, video games and toys.

You can find him on Instagram or view his online portfolio here! For more information regarding collaborating with Tom or any of our fantastic illustrators please email info@arenaillustration.com

It seems like a mere moment ago that we first shared The Miraculous Sweetmakers, written by Natasha Hastings and illustrated by our very own Alex T. Smith, which published to huge critical acclaim back in 2022 and was swiftly crowned as one of Waterstones Books of the Year .

 The Miraculous Sweetmakers; The Frost Fair, proved to be an instant hit, showcasing Alex’s extraordinary skill for character creation and world building, this was followed by book two, The Sea Queen, (you can find out more about these delicious books over on our news page) We think you’ll agree the lavish colours and elaborate cover treatments really add something special to this stunning series.

As we leap into 2026, we are treated to the final story in this epic trilogy, where we re-join Thomasina and Anne on their quest to discover the source of a mysterious voice. Seat-gripping adventure ensues as the girls’ friendship faces the ultimate test. With beautiful black and white feature illustrations, this final instalment offers readers a moment of pure escapism for fans of fun-filled fantasy adventure.

As one of the most recognisable artistic talents in children’s publishing today, Alex still finds time to sketch for pleasure, often inspired by the creatures and characters he regularly encounters, and some of whom star in various guises his own stories. His observational skills have elevated him to becoming one of the best of the best in terms of illustrative talent, but his storytelling is also second to none, positively brimming with comedy and charm.

The Storm Prince publishes with Harper Collins and can be purchased at all good book shops and libraries and why not take a moment to watch the animated book trailer.

You can find Alex on Instagram where he shares amongst other things, delightful photos of his menagerie, creative projects, events as well as his wonderful Substack weekly newsletter Joy Parade which is filled to the brim with jollity and not to be missed.

For more information regarding collaborating with Alex please email info@arenaillustration.com or visit his newly updated online portfolio, which now features The Miraculous Sweetmakers as a new highlight project.