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Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Hello! I have a new picture book coming out! The Butterfly House, will be published by @andersenpress.bsky.social on 9th Oct 2025, and is available to preorder now, from @waterstoneskids.bsky.social & all good bookshops!

www.waterstones.com/book/the-but...

A book cover reveal for Harry Woodgate's next author-illustrator picture book, The Butterfly House. The book cover features a colourful hand-drawn illustration, made with acrylic and watercolour paint, ink, pastel, pencil, pen and other materials. The illustration depicts two children (both white, a girl with blonde hair wearing a blue polo shirt and grey skirt holding her hand up to a butterfly, and a boy with short brown hair wearing a blue polo shirt, grey shorts and brown rucksack) in front of a metal framed greenhouse in a lush garden filled with colourful plants, flowers and butterflies. Above, in the sky, the title reads 'The Butterfly House' in teal green hand-lettering. Below, in the grass, is the author name and a subtitle: 'Winner of the British Book Award and Waterstones Children's Book Prize'. The book cover is in the centre of the image. Around it are more illustrated butterflies, as well as a promotional line which reads 'Out 9th October 2025, available to preorder now'.

July 18, 2025 at 11:25 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

The new board book edition of Grandad’s Camper is out in US/Canada this Tuesday 8 April with Little Bee Books & @glaad.bsky.social - Look at how CUTE THIS IIIIIS 🥹🎉🌈🚐

Available here: littlebeebooks.com/books/granda...

Photo of the new board book edition of Grandad’s Camper, a picture book written and illustrated by Harry Woodgate. The board book is die-cut in the shape of a camper van as viewed from the front. The van is pink, with yellow circular headlamps, a number plate which reads NOD R06, and a grey tire in the centre of the bonnet in which the book title and author name sit (coloured yellow and white respectively). Next to the tire is a pride flag. In the corner of the cover is a roundel that reads: American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book. In the driving seat is Grandad, an old white man with receding grey hair, green glasses, green vest jumper and blue collared shirt. Beside him is Gilbert, an apricot/beige coloured dog with a wagging tail. In the passenger seat is Grandad’s granddaughter Millie, who has brown skin, dark brown curly hair and wears a cream and dark pink striped top. She is holding a map. All are smiling.

April 6, 2025 at 4:46 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

The first rights proof of my debut middle grade book Cinnamon Crumb Baking Detective arrived today! These proofs will be off to London & Bologna Book Fairs to show to foreign publishers, ahead of UK publication in Sept 2026. I’m so excited to see what people think…! 🧁🎉👩🏻‍🍳

A photo of a proof copy of the upcoming debut middle grade book Cinnamon Crumb Baking Detective by Harry Woodgate. The holding cover features the title branding in bold gold coloured text; a subtitle reading ‘the irresistible fiction debut from author-illustrator Harry Woodgate; and a watercolour illustration of Cinnamon, the main character (a white 11 year old girl wearing a beret, orange roll neck jumper, red apron, denim shorts, purple tights, boots, and cream leg warmers, holding a torch and magnifying glass) and Snickerdoodle (a small biscuit coloured terrier) on a blue watercolour textured background. Around the book are some of the original ink drawings featured inside the book, including a tall town house, characters at a bakery stall, and a night time scene with falling snow.

March 10, 2025 at 2:13 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Today's the final day to make our voices heard against the government's proposed plans to allow AI developers to steal our work for use in training their AI systems. It's theft, plain and simple, but you can object by filling out the IPO consultation.

Guidance here: theaoi.com/news/the-cop...

graphic with a turquoise background with black text reading 'MAKE IT FAIR' - the 'AI' of 'FAIR' is highlighted in white. Subtitle reads 'the government is siding with big tech over British creativity'

February 25, 2025 at 11:43 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

a small collage i made today in between work, because the best antidote to feeling hopeless and a bit sick about the world is to breathe something into being out of colour and shapes

a mixed media collage illustration by Harry Woodgate depicting a child reading a book on a rock underneath a tree next to a river, lit by the low-hanging afternoon sun. the child is white, with long curly brown hair and a messy bun, and wears glasses as well as a blue top and orange trousers. the book is purple, and clearly mesmerising. the rock is made of torn manuscript paper, and is surrounded by scribbled pencil shrubs. the tree has a trunk made of a music staff, with terracotta watercolour branches and a scattering of green cutout leaves. the river is a painted blue brushstroke; around it are flowers, and rocks collaged from old photographs and yellowing gridded notebook paper. the sun is bright white, but still warm.

February 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Quick reminder that I'll be part of this year's Writers & Artists Children's Festival & you can get tickets here: www.writersandartists.co.uk/events-and-c...

Topics include illustrating characters, a few drawing exercises, supporting kids' autonomy & diversity, plus tips for an illustration career.

promotional image for the Writers & Artists 'Children's Writers & Illustrators Festival 2025' - an online, craft-based festival for children's writers and illustrators at all stages of their careers. The image is promoting a talk called Illustration tips and tricks with Harry Woodgate. There is also a portrait of Harry Woodgate, who is a white, young, non binary person with brown wavy hair halfway down to their shoulders, and is wearing an orange roll neck jumper and transparent acetate glasses.

February 10, 2025 at 10:08 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

today's scribblings, thinking about community and the climate and how narcissistic men will literally dismantle governments to maintain control and still fail to conquer joy or beauty or hope

a poem by harry woodgate, which reads 'the thing is, we have everything we need. the thing is, the science is there, and the money is there, and the will, too, though they do their best to obscure it. the thing is, we know what is at stake: we know that we are flies on a horse's back; that we will be the losers in almost any situation; that the world will always humble us, first, yet the thing is, the alternative is infinitely worse. it has been the perpetual project of powerful men to convince you that the convenience of inaction is less painful than the tumult or recognition: this is not what i signed up for! oh, god, i am no longer in love; oh, god! we are dancing cliffside towards a breakdown; oh, god, they will burn down everything and everyone if it means they might come out on top! but the thing is, they know their lie is brittle. they know that every drill in the ground and every wedge driven roughshod between communities who do not hate each other, not really, is another fissure that will swallow them, eventually: the great splintering; the inescapable fallacy of stepping on the spines of others to reach the summit and expecting them always to hold you up. the thing is, they know we do not need them. the thing is, they know they need us. the thing is, the door is there and the sky is still wide with eggshell light and they hate that they can do nothing about it: that it will outlive them again and again and again and again. so what are we waiting for? what will convince us to dash marvellously towards it?

February 6, 2025 at 7:07 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

An ocean-sized thank you to Hampshire Libraries for selecting My Small World: Underwater, by #CarylHart & me, to be on their shortlist for this year's Hampshire Picture Book Award 🐠🐬

Year 1 classes across the county will now get to vote for their favourite, & the winner will be announced in March 🐳

A graphic from Hampshire County Council School Library Service showing the four shortlisted books for their Hampshire Picture Book Award 2025, on a blue background with multicoloured paint splatters. The shortlisted books are 'A Home for Stone' by Corinne Averiss and Rosalind Beardshaw; 'Godfrey is a Frog' by Alex Latimer; 'Heavy Metal Badger' by Duncan Beedie; and 'My Small World: Underwater' by Caryl Hart and Harry Woodgate.

February 3, 2025 at 11:11 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Just a post to say a huge thank you to everyone who borrowed books I've worked on from libraries this year, and to PLR which ensures that creators get paid every time that happens. Somehow my books were loaned almost 43000 times, which is a figure I'm still trying to wrap my head around. ✨📚

A digital mixed media collage illustration from the picture book Grandad's Pride, by Harry Woodgate, depicting a colourful high street in a seaside town with various shops and characters, including a florist with flower-patterned awning, a pink clothes shop, an ice cream parlour and a public library with a book display in the box bay window. Colourful bunting hangs between the buildings, including various Pride flags, and characters are depicted doing various activities, including handing out leaflets to a Pride parade, petting a dog, eating ice cream, cycling along the seafront, painting a rainbow zebra crossing, painting a shop window, and sitting at tables overlooking the beach.

January 23, 2025 at 4:49 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

There are also soon to be two new co-editions of Grandad's Camper: Opa's Camper, published in German by Kindermann Verlag; and Antur Taid a Fi, published in Welsh by @graffegbooks.bsky.social. Pre-order the latter here: www.waterstones.com/book/antur-t...

An image of the German co-edition of Harry Woodgate's book 'Grandad's Camper', published as 'Opa's Camper' by Kindermann Verlag. The book cover features the title in fuschia pink text above a pink and cream coloured campervan driving through a countryside landscape illustrated using digital collage and mixed media. In the distance is a sun rising over the horizon, and grey roads winding over green hills. The camper van has two yellow headlights set either side of a grey spare tire mounted to the front of the vehicle, in which sit the author and publisher name. Inside, Grandad (old, white, with grey hair and green glasses, wearing a green sweater vest and blue shirt with checked collar) is driving. Milly (5-7yrs old, brown skin, dark brown curly hair, wearing a beige and pink striped short sleeve top and holding a map) sits in the passenger seat. In between them is Gilbert, Grandad's apricot coloured dog. From the roof of the van flies a Pride flag.

An image of the Welsh co-edition of Harry Woodgate's book 'Grandad's Camper', published as 'Antur Taid a Fi' by Graffeg Books. The book cover features the title in fuschia pink text above a pink and cream coloured campervan driving through a countryside landscape illustrated using digital collage and mixed media. In the distance is a sun rising over the horizon, and grey roads winding over green hills. The camper van has two yellow headlights set either side of a grey spare tire mounted to the front of the vehicle, in which sit the author name. Inside, Grandad (old, white, with grey hair and green glasses, wearing a green sweater vest and blue shirt with checked collar) is driving. Milly (5-7yrs old, brown skin, dark brown curly hair, wearing a beige and pink striped short sleeve top and holding a map) sits in the passenger seat. In between them is Gilbert, Grandad's apricot coloured dog. From the roof of the van flies a Pride flag.

January 20, 2025 at 10:57 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

A few bits of news to share - firstly, my debut picture book Grandad's Camper is soon to be available as a wonderful new board book edition, shaped like a camper van! Out on 8 April with Little Bee Books and @glaad.bsky.social - pre-order here: littlebeebooks.com/books/granda...

A promotional image of Harry Woodgate's picture book Grandad's Camper, now available as a board book edition. The board book is shaped like a pink camper van, with two yellow circular headlights positioned either side of a grey spare tire in which sit the book title and author name. Inside the van are Grandad (old, white, wearing green glasses a green sweater vest and blue shirt with checked collar, driving), Milly (about 5-7yrs old, brown skin, curly dark brown hair, wearing a beige and fuchsia striped t-shirt, holding a map), and Gilbert (Grandad's apricot coloured dog, smiling, with a wagging tail). Above the book are strings of multicoloured bunting, some of which is decorated to look like various Pride flags. Next to the book is the text 'Now available as a board book!' and 'Out on 8 April 2025 with Little Bee Books and GLAAD'. The image has a turquoise background decorated with swirls and white stars.

January 20, 2025 at 10:49 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Signed off for Christmas earlier this week with the great satisfaction (& no small amount of relief) that artwork for my debut middle grade book, Cinnamon Crumb: Baking Detective, is almost complete 🎉🧁🕵🏻‍♀️ With over 250 illustrations, book one will be out in 2026 - but here’s a sneak peek…!

A photo of a tall stack of ink illustrations by Harry Woodgate on various sized sheets of cartridge paper, sat on a desk which is covered with grey and tartan patterned vinyl coated tablecloths. In the background, blurred by the camera’s short depth of field, are various art materials: an eraser, mechanical pencils, scissors, pots of pens, ink bottles, et cetera.

A photo of various ink and watercolour illustrations by Harry Woodgate, for their upcoming middle grade book Cinnamon Crumb: Baking Detective. The central illustration depicts Cinnamon, a white ten year old girl with long wavy brown hair. She wears a beret designed to look like a latticed apple pie; an orange roll neck jumper; denim shorts; a teal baking apron; chunky dark purple boots and cream leg warmers. She is also holding a torch and a rolling pin. Next to her is her dog Snickerdoodle, a small, biscuit coloured curly haired terrier, with a lolling tongue and a turquoise collar with a bone shaped tag. Other illustrations in the background depict a tightrope walker above a row of buildings; an elaborately decorated layer cake; a character in a burgundy tailcoat with stripy tights and costume wings; and a row of wonky buildings with leaded windows.

December 20, 2024 at 9:19 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Ahead of the #IllustratorsFair at Kings Cross on Saturday, I've been working on a new collection of illustration prints which are now live on my web shop too: harrywoodgate.com/shop

I'll be doing one final print run after the fair so if you're looking for unique Christmas gifts, now's the time! 🎄

a square image advertising a range of new illustration prints by Harry Woodgate taken from various travel and location drawings. In the centre, bold bright blue capitalised sans serif text reads 'new prints' whilst around the text are various framed illustrations. In the top left corner there is a sandy bay with flowers and ferns in the foreground; in the top middle there is a conical green hill surrounded by lush trees; in the top right there is a harbour at low tide with a town in the background; in the bottom left there is a rugged coastline with green-topped cliffs that shelve down into turquoise water; and in the bottom right there is an Italian piazza with terracotta coloured buildings.

an image of an illustration print by Harry Woodgate of Pointe de la Moye in Guernsey. The artwork depicts a rugged coastline with green-topped cliffs that shelve down into turquoise water, and in the foreground there are various ferns and flowers. The drawing has been made with pastels, crayons, pencils, acrylic pens, watercolour and ink.

an image of an illustration print by Harry Woodgate of Piazza Santo Stefano in Bologna, Italy. The artwork, made with watercolour, ink, felt-tip pen, pencil and pastel, depicts a sunny piazza lined with terracotta and mustard coloured buildings, some of which have arched porticoes characteristic of the old city. A bluish shadow cuts horizontally across some of the facades, cast by the buildings on the opposite side of the square.

an image of an illustration print by Harry Woodgate of Colmer's Hill in Dorset. The artwork is made with mixed media, including pens, pencils, wax and soluble pastels, ink and watercolour, and depicts a small, conical green hill with a pathway leading to the top, where two pine trees grow next to each other. Around the base of the hill are lush multicoloured trees and hedgerows, and above the sky is a wash of turquoise, purple, blue and ochre.

December 3, 2024 at 12:00 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

And my last two events of this year will be the Waterstones Kensington Christmas Evening, on 3rd Dec from 4:30pm, along with a host of brilliant authors & illustrators - buy or bring any books you'd like signed! Then on 7th Dec, I'll be tabling at Kings Cross Illustrators Fair ✨

promotional image for Waterstones Kensington Christmas Evening. Event is on Tuesday 3rd December 2024 from 4:30pm. Harry Woodgate will be signing copies of The Happy Prince, as well as any of their other books. Image also includes the book cover for Harry's adaptation of The Happy Prince, as well as a photo of the author.

promotional image for the Kings Cross Illustrators Fair, taking place on Saturday 7th December 2024. Image shows a range of Harry Woodgate's children's books including Timid, Grandad's Pride, and My Small World: Dinosaurs and My Small World: Underwater, both written by Caryl Hart. In front of the books there are a range of postcards.

November 27, 2024 at 5:48 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Event updates! Firstly, next March I'll be doing a video talk as part of Writers & Artists' Children's Writers & Illustrators Festival, all about creating visual narratives and engaging characters as well as building a career in publishing. Tickets here: www.writersandartists.co.uk/events-and-c...

November 27, 2024 at 5:48 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

sometimes i make comics. here is one from a couple of years ago which still guides me

a two-colour pencil comic by Harry Woodgate in purple linework and pink shading. in the first panel, a cartoon bunny is making paper swans, which hang on string around them. in the second panel, we see a close-up of the swan they are making. in the third panel, the paper swan takes off from the bunny's hands into the air, and in the fourth panel, we see it flying over rooftops of buildings with different animals in the windows: a bird, a mouse, a stoat. text in the four panels reads: 'what a joy it is / to make something / to set it free / into the hands of others'

a two-colour pencil comic by Harry Woodgate in purple linework and pink shading. in the first panel, we see a paper swan hanging above the bed of a sleeping cartoon chick, whose parent/carer looks on from a backlit doorway. in the second panel, chick and parent make paper stars together, which hang on strings around them. in the third panel, the bunny walks past a shop with paper swans and books in the window, and a sign reading #1. in the fourth panel, a paper swan sits on a foreground table, whilst in the distance the bunny watches birds fly across the sky in a formation resembling the paper swan's shape. text across the four panels reads: 'so that it might become part of their stories / so it may inspire them to make their own / and so that it may grow / until it is bigger than itself'

a two-colour pencil comic by Harry Woodgate in purple linework and pink shading. the single panel depicts a chick and bunny embracing, with other animals in the background: mice, stoats. a paper swan flies above them towards the treetops. text reads: 'and the world it helps create...'

a two-colour pencil comic by Harry Woodgate in purple linework and pink shading. the single panel depicts a bunny in an artists studio, looking down at a flat piece of paper with fold lines across it. there are scissors and a pencil on the table. in the background, scrunched up balls of paper fill a waste basket and litter a plan chest. text reads: 'is better than the one in which it was made.'

November 19, 2024 at 2:49 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

something i drew just for fun earlier this year, to remind myself of calmness, and softness, and the importance of creativity for its own sake ✨

cropped image of a mixed media illustration by Harry Woodgate depicting a silhouetted person and a dog with pointy ears inside a small sailboat on a tranquil sea, looking up at a sky filled with multicoloured pastel swirls made through intuitive mark making: acrylic pen; pencil; oil and wax pastel; watercolour; ink. in the distance, to the right, is a shore of dark green, blue and purple hills, which is reflected in the still water below.

a mixed media illustration by Harry Woodgate depicting a silhouetted person and a dog with pointy ears inside a small sailboat on a tranquil sea, looking up at a sky filled with multicoloured pastel swirls made through intuitive mark making: acrylic pen; pencil; oil and wax pastel; watercolour; ink. in the distance, to the right, is a shore of dark green, blue and purple hills, which is reflected in the still water below.

November 18, 2024 at 11:42 AM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Recent sketch from when the last of summer was still hanging on 🌻

Fountain pen and ink wash drawing by Harry Woodgate of a child with their hair in a messy bun, wearing a t shirt, check skirt and trainers, lying in the grass amongst tall sunflowers, cobwebs and dandelions, reading a book containing scribbled text and illustrations of a dragon tail and medieval doorway

November 17, 2024 at 12:45 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

Hello - just doing my obligatory introduction post now that this place seems to be taking off! I'm Harry, I write and illustrate children's books about various things, including, joy, hope, grief, LGBTQ+ identity, dinosaurs, physics, imaginary lions, murder mystery, & cake. Here are some of them. ✨

a collection of childrens books by Harry Woodgate, including Little Glow, Shine Like the Stars, Lonesome Bog and Little Dog, Timid, Grandad's Camper, Grandad's Pride, The Very Merry Murder Club, My Small World Underwater, My Small World Dinosaurs, Queer and Fearless, The Super Sunny Murder Club, How to Spaghettify Your Dog, The Happy Prince, How to Build a City and My First Baking Book

November 16, 2024 at 3:59 PM

Harry Woodgate

@harrywoodgate.bsky.social

As always, an absolute pleasure to illustrate National Book Tokens’ Hidden Books Game, and to see the ensuing chaos as everyone tries to solve it 🐝😇🎉 Play here for a chance to win £/€500 book tokens: hiddenbooksgame.nationalbooktokens.com