The Magic Potions Shop: The Young Apprentice

Abie Longstaff is the eldest of six children and grew up in Australia, Hong Kong and France. She knows all about squabbling, chaos and bossing younger sisters around. So she logically began her career as a barrister. She started writing when her children were born. Her favourite childhood books were Hating Alison Ashley, A Little Princess, Maura's Angel and The Black Stallion and she sneakily reads them again sometimes. Abie lives in Hove with her family.

Lauren Beard is an illustrator based in Manchester. As a young girl she always loved drawing and reading, and would write and illustrate short stories for her two younger brothers. She has been fascinated by animals, fairy tales and folklore since her childhood, when she would visit her Irish Grandma and was told to "watch out for the fairies!"

Her work is hand-drawn and coloured both digitally and by hand, using all types of media to get different textures. Lauren enjoys adding little details and modern humour to her illustrations appealing to children and adults alike.

Lauren lives with her cat, Sushi, who keeps her company when drawing.