Tell us what you’re currently working on?
My latest book Panda & Penguin Find a Thing came out this year. It’s a story I wrote and illustrated about a Panda and a Penguin who are good friends – until they find a mobile phone! I’ve also just finished working on my new book. This came out of my own experience with grief and it’s about the love and companionship between a dog and his ageing owner. It has happiness, sadness and a ‘new happy’ ending where the dog gets rehomed to a girl who has always wanted a pet.

Is this your dream career?
As a child, I never thought I could be a writer – I wasn’t great at English and found spelling challenging (I still do)! However, I always loved art. My stories mostly come from drawing first and then the words fall out. If the image says what the words need to say, I delete some words – it’s so liberating! It’s a like a puzzle. It’s not really writing – I see it as playing.

Best bits about what you do?
Every day is different! I could be at home working on some illustrations, at the National History Museum drawing dinosaurs or in a café coming up with story ideas. I love going into schools. Inspiring children to be imaginative, encouraging them to be fearless with their ideas and knowing I could be making a difference – even just to one child – is one of the best things ever!

What inspires you?
Daily life. I listen, I look and I write notes or draw. My own stories are quite character driven where I illustrate emotions through humans or animals but I love to illustrate other writers’ stories too and it’s incredibly important that all young readers see themselves in my books.

Top tips?
You’ll get knock backs but you need belief and passion. Stories come from your gut, not what you think is in fashion.

Follow Zehra on insta @zehrahicks