About Nicola

Nicola Kent is a multi-award-winning author and illustrator from London whose children’s books have been published in over 20 different languages, including French, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Korean, Czech and Greek.
Nicola has published seventeen books so far for age groups from 0-7. Critically acclaimed, her books are warm, kind and funny with illustrations known for their bright jewel-like colours.

In 2026, the first in Nicola’s highly illustrated chapter book series for newly confident readers, Cat and Dumpling, was shortlisted for the Alligator’s Mouth Award, the UK’s only award especially for illustrated children’s fiction. The second in the series, Cat and Dumpling: The Talent Show, has been selected by BookTrust to be part of their LetterBox pack for looked-after children.

Nicola’s picture books have been shortlisted for awards including the World Illustration Awards and the Teach Primary Book Awards. Her non-fiction picture book Measuring Me! won the Mathical Book Prize in the US in 2025, as well as the silver prize in the Eureka Book Awards. Croc’s Cooking Day, from her novelty board book series Busy Chores for Little Paws was selected by BookTrust for its toddler Bookstart pack.

Nicola graduated with distinction from the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art in 2016. She was highly commended in the Macmillan Prize that year and in 2019 won the Independent Booksellers’ Best New Illustrator award.  

Before her work as an author and illustrator, Nicola was a TV producer for ten years on a range of primetime factual shows for the BBC and Channel 4. These ranged from arts programmes The Late Show, Late Review and The Art Marathon to popular factual shows including Pet Rescue and The History of a House. She developed the children’s BAFTA- winning documentary A Different Life, about children who live in traveller communities. Nicola has also written for children’s animations including BAFTA-nominated The Cramp Twins.

Outside her work creating books, Nicola provides editing services for authors and illustrators. She enjoys still life painting, gardening, reading, going to the cinema and watching drama on TV with her dog and her cat on her lap.