Lily Uivel

After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Lily worked as a props maker and designer. But since before she could remember, she had loved to draw more than anything else. She would spend all of her spare time sketching and studying illustration.

When Covid arrived, Lily and her partner, Rory Stewart, left their life in London and rushed home to New Zealand. Stuck in the house and trying to rebuild a life that had been abruptly scattered, Lily decided to give herself a chance. She has now illustrated over 10 picture books, including Melanie La’Brooy’s The Wintrish Girl (University of Queensland Press) and Nicole Miller’s Celia Seagull and the Plastic Sea (Little Love).

Lily lives in Days Bay with her assistant, She-Ra the dog, and Rory.