Three brilliant Northern Ireland-based authors and illustrators introduce us to their new picture books. Join Mel Carroll, Ellan Rankin and Johnathan Sung for story-telling and drawing activities in a relaxed environment, followed by book signings. Perfect for budding artists and book lovers.

All materials provided. Ideal for 3-7 year olds but all welcome! 

Come and let little ones unleash their creativity and meet the artists behind their new book obsession!

Meet the artists

Mel Carroll is an Irish illustrator and designer based in Belfast. After working as a Creative Director for a branding company for over 10 years, Mel jumped ship and started UsFolk Illustration Agency in Belfast. He spends his time managing the business and working on illustrations commissions. His playful character-based work is colourful, textured and varied in style. A Belfast Fairytale is his first book.

Ellan Rankin is a Northern Irish author-illustrator. Her debut author-illustrated book, The Secret Elephant, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2024. She also illustrated Our Wee Place, written by Sophie Kirtley. A huge animal lover, Ellan’s stories often centre around animals and quirky news stories. Her work is frequently inspired by history, cinema, and tales she hears along the way. She enjoys building rich, detailed worlds within her illustration and historical fashion and interiors often influence her work. She loves researching visual details—whether that means diving into 1970s bathroom design or 1980s jackets. When she isn’t illustrating, she can usually be found cuddling her dog, playing video games, or daydreaming about foods she probably shouldn’t eat.

Johnathan Sung is an author, illustrator and animator based in Belfast. He enjoys pizza, paddle boarding, being bad at chess, but mostly he loves exploring who we are through drawing characters, ideas and stories. Moon Moon Can’t Sleep is his debut picture book