Collaboration

Two heads are better than one

Feb 03, 2025

This month the

, a group of illustrator buddies from around the world, have been thinking about the theme of collaboration.

There’s a huge amount of collaboration that happens within children’s publishing. When you pick up a book, the object you hold in your hands is the outcome of a collaboration between (but not limited to): author, illustrator, agent, editor, designer, art director, copy editor, publisher, marketers, PR execs, rights sellers, sensitivity readers, production experts, book sellers, retailers and more. It’s really fulfilling to be part of that chain as an author and illustrator, but the reality is that (in commercial, traditional publishing) the potential value of a book increases when different sets of ideas and expertise merge together.

I don’t mean to play down the role of the artist in this field (because it is a strange and important thing), but if the goal is to get the book in the hands of the right readers, then you need to collaborate as a team. If the reader enjoys it; it’s a collective win.

Go team book!

Of course creative collaborations are all around us . . . here are some non-publishing collabs I enjoy:

Loewe X Howl’s Moving Castle

What would your life be like if you owned this handbag? I’m pretty sure mine would be better.

Play-Doh X Demeter

100% would smell this and feel nostalgia.

Yohji Yamamoto X Real Madrid

Imagine being cool enough to wear this.

Steven Spielberg X John Williams

See also: Tim Burton & Danny Elfman, Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi.

Dolce & Gabbana X SMEG

Food would taste better.

LUSH X Super Mario Bros Movie

These bath bombs had a mystery item inside, of course.

And here’s a future collaboration that I’m excited about:

McDonald’s X Stormzy

Will be partaking.

In conclusion: I love seeing what happens when different perspectives collide. In my mind, collaboration transforms ideas into something greater than the sum of its parts which makes me excited as a creator and open to teaming up in unexpected ways.

What collaborations do you enjoy? Do you have a dream collab of your own?

Thanks for reading.