Shabana was fortunate to grow up on a rich and varied diet of children’s literature; she loved stories that matched her mischievous sense of humour from Fungus The Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs to the wonderful world of Roald Dahl. The comforting familiarity of Shirley Hughes and Judith Kerr’s work also made a lasting impression on her. These early influences significantly shaped her style of writing. She writes funny stories set in the familiarity of domestic life with a touch of the fantastical. Picture books are her favourite genre because anything and everything is possible and she has two texts under contract and in development. She has been teaching Primary school children for over 15 years and part of this has been as literacy lead; therefore, she well and truly understands the magic of sharing picture books and the power they have to create life long readers. Shabana has made it her mission to increase diverse representation in children’s literature and to encourage all children to dream big!
