MIKE WILKS
Londoner Mike Wilks is an award-winning artist and the bestselling author of eleven books. Showing early artistic talent Mike won a scholarship to junior art school at the age of 13 and later went on to study at Croydon College of Art.
After graduating Mike worked as a graphic designer subsequently founding his own design group, TWD, at the age of 23. The company prospered and grew and five years later, on the back of great success, Mike sold his share to his partners and turned to writing and illustrating his own books. Initially supporting himself with teaching and freelance design and illustration work he eventually created his first bestseller The Ultimate Alphabet and left London to live in the south of France in an old stone mas overlooking the Mediterranean.
In 1990 Mike was the subject of Mike Wilks – Making His Mark, an award-winning documentary for BBC television featuring his life and work. His original paintings and drawings, which have a surreal and dreamlike quality with an unsettling undertone, have been acquired by major art museums in New York and London as well as many private collections in Europe and the USA.
In 1998 Mike returned to London and bought an old pub which he converted into a vast, light-filled studio. Searching for a new challenge he began writing children’s novels creating the Mirrorscape trilogy, bringing his artist’s eye to the written word. The Mirrorscape books have so far been translated into a dozen languages. Mike now divides his time between writing and painting pictures ‘of dark and dazzling brilliance’.
Most recently Mike has been working on turning his trio of Ultimate titles into successful apps. The first, The Ultimate Alphabet, has been the number one, most-downloaded word game in 84 online Apple app stores around the world.
For more information visit www.mike-wilks.com
LATEST BOOK: MIRRORSHADE
Something is terribly wrong. Mel, Ludo and Wren have been kidnapped by a quartet of strange bounty hunters and thrown into Deep Trouble, the most secure prison in the Mirrorscape, the land that exists inside paintings. Meanwhile, their evil doppelgangers, the mirrorshades, have taken their place back in Vlam. Can the friends escape? And will they be able to find the mysterious Mirrortree before their doubles can? If they fail the consequences are unthinkable…
The third thrilling adventure in the Mirrorscape trilogy.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Pile: Petals from St Klaed’s Computer: Jonathan Cape 1979; Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1979 (North America). In Granny’s Garden: Jonathan Cape 1980; Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1980 (North America); Herder 1980 (Germany); Silvertuba Publishing 2009 (Korea). The Weather Works: Pavilion 1983; Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1983 (North America); Alma 1985 (Norway). The Ultimate Alphabet: Pavilion 1986; Henry Holt 1986 (North America). The Annotated Ultimate Alphabet: Pavilion 1988; Henry Holt 1988 (North America). The BBC Drawing Course: BBC Books 1990. The Ultimate Noah’s Ark: Michael Joseph 1993; Henry Holt 1993 (North America); Editorial Debate 1993 (Spain). The Ultimate Spot The Difference Book: Penguin Studio 1997. Metamorphosis: Penguin Studio 1997 (North America). Mirrorscape: Egmont 2007; Egmont USA (North America); Rocco (Brazil); Crown Culture (Taiwan); Oetinger (Germany); Softbank Creative (Japan); Sigongsa (Korea); Egmont Polska (Poland); Editura Corint (Romania); Strecoza (Russia); Almuzara (Spain); Nation Egmont (Thailand); Kyriakides (Greece); Brilliance Audio/Bolinda Audio (English language audio). Mirrorstorm, 2009 (foreign rights as Mirrorscape). Mirrorshade, 2010 (foreign rights as Mirrorscape). The Ultimate Alphabet (App): Toytek 2010.
