ABOUT
Hello and thanks for stopping by! I am Madeau, a children's author and illustrator based in East Lothian, Scotland.
I write and illustrate picture books because I believe stories can change the world. I wrote my first book at age 8, using a retired Olivetti typewriter and an entire bottle of Tipp-Ex. I later took a little detour to study Architecture in my hometown of Athens, followed by postgraduate studies in Production Design for Film in Madrid and London. My background in film comes into play more than I'd ever anticipated when making picture books, helping me build space, mood and character visually. More than that, it is a reminder storytelling projects have a collaborative spirit: many minds, hands, voices - one shared vision.
My love of words and languages has always run alongside my visual work. After spending much of my 20s in Spain, I completed a 2-year literary translation course (Spanish to Greek) offered by the European Translation Centre for Literature and Humanities. Living in a bilingual household, I often find myself translating picture books aloud. That constant play with language opens up new ways of seeing and understanding stories.
My daughters are growing up with two cultures and two languages, and I am conscious of how beautifully unique every child's world is. I am passionate about stories that explore culture, belonging and all the things children share across languages and borders. I am also proudly obsessed with fairies, tiny houses and miniature worlds (some things we never grow out of).
Always happy to connect with publishers, agents and fellow creatives and help develop joyful new books, made to be cherished.
Thank you!