Christina Balit

Christina Balit had a fairly nomadic childhood in several parts of the world - including New Guinea, Kashmir, Baghdad, Greece and the Lebanon - with what she describes as 'very brave parents', then came to London to study at the Celsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art.  She has illustrated over 20 children’s books and has twice been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, winning the Commended award for Ishtar and Tammuz in 1996.  Her other illustrated books include Michael Morpurgo’s Blodin the Beast, The Lion Illustrated Bible and Zoo in the Sky.  Her own authored picture books include Atlantis - The Legend of a Lost City and Escape from Pompeii, which is used extensively throughout the UK in Primary schools to support learning about the Romans and volcanoes, and to develop writing skills - a fact Christina is very proud of.  She is winner of the 2002 English Association Book Award for Key Stage 2 Non Fiction and the US Parents Guide to Children’s Media Award.  Over the past seven years she has been illustrating five huge anthologies for National Geographic written by Donna-Jo Napoli - each containing 75 paintings and taking 18 months to complete.  Christina works initially in pencil and then paints her artwork in a combination of watercolours, gouache and gold inks.  She is also a playwright, whose plays include Woman With Upturned Skirt, The Sentence and Needle, winner of the Brave New Roles Award and broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Christina lives in Kent.