Hi, I’m Eva.

I’m an author, illustrator, and risograph enthusiast based in Amsterdam, where I live with my husband and our two little adventurers. My picture books, including When Sadness Comes to Call, Where Happiness Begins, and Where is the Cat?, have been translated into over 20 languages and have received several nominations and awards, including the V&A Award for cover design and the Klaus Flugge Prize for most promising and exciting newcomer.

Originally from Delft (NL), I began seriously pursuing my passion for storytelling at the Text and Image department of the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. After a transformative exchange program at the Film and Video department at the School of Visual Arts in New York, I graduated in Audiovisual Design from the Rietveld in 2008.

While I always kept writing and drawing, it took me quite a few years to determine the direction of my work. I nurtured my love for children’s books while working in a bookshop and working with kids aged 2 to 10. It was only when I read about a master’s program in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art that my heart skipped a beat. I signed up for the summer school and was immediately hooked. Although it took me a year to take the leap and enroll in the MA program, I have never looked back since and can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my life.

I thrived being a student again, this time with a greater appreciation for the time I had to dedicate to exploring ideas and learning about storytelling and drawing. I love observing people and drawing from observation, experimenting with traditional materials and printmaking, particularly risography. I have found a lens through which to examine and decode the world for myself, and eventually for others in my books: storytelling and emotions. Within the limitations of a picture book and a page, which I consider my playground, I explore risography, limited color palettes, narrative, and what it means to be human.

My hope is to create meaningful work that resonates with others, offering windows and reflections, and providing comfort for those in need. I aim for a light touch with enough space for readers to bring their own stories and creativity to fill the gaps. The subjects I’m drawn to are often those that still hold some mystery for me. The personal often becomes universal and it’s thrilling and reassuring to know that my work connects with many people, both big and small, helping them feel less alone.

I feel equally excited (and overwhelmed) by the many books and ideas still waiting to be made.

If you have questions, check out my FAQ page, or feel free to ask. To stay updated on my latest creations and musings, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Instagram @evaeland .

If you want to learn more about my creative process and thoughts on picture books about emotions, I’ve written a blog post for Booktrust and Foyles. If you prefer to read in Dutch, you can find interviews with me on Pluizer and ZitDaZo.

MY WORK

My debut picture book When Sadness Comes to Call,  published by Andersen Press, came out January 2019 and is translated in 20+ languages. It was shortlisted for the World of Illustration Award, longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and the UKLA Book Awards and won the V&A award in the book cover category and also the Klaus Flugge Prize for the most promising and exciting newcomer in picture book illustration.

My second picture book Where Happiness Begins is published by Andersen Press in February 2020 and was long listed for the UKLA Book Awards, nominated for the Kate Greenway Award and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2021.

Where is the Cat? is published by Andersen Press in 2024.

You can find more illustrations on my portfolio page and Risograph prints in my webshop.

EDUCATION

I earned an MA Children’s Book Illustration with distinction from the Cambridge School of Art in 2018. I also graduated from Audiovisual Design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam in 2008, and did an exchange for half a year at the film department of the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York.

AWARDS, EXHIBITIONS AND SUBSIDIES

2024 // Solo exhibition at the Kinderboekenwinkel Nijmegen.

2022 // Recipient of Stimuleringsfonds (fonds voor Praktijkverdieping en Professionalisering)

2021 // Nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award (Where Happiness Begins).

2021 // Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize (Where Happiness Begins).

2021 // Longlisted for UKLA Book Awards (Where Happiness Begins).

2020 // Selected for The Original Art 2020 exhibit by the Society of Illustrators in New York (When Sadness is at Your Door, Random House (the USA edition of When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press)).

2020 // Winner of the Klaus Flugge Prize (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2020 // Winner of the V&A Award in the Book Cover category (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2020 // Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Award (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2020 // Included in the Read for empathy list by EmpathyLab  (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2020 // Longlisted for UKLA Book Awards (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2019// Merit award for the Little Hakka International Picture Book Award (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2019 // Selected for the BIB (Bratislava Illustration Biennial) by IBBY UK  (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2019 // Shortlisted for the World of Illustration Award by the AOI (When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press).

2019 // Included in the exhibition of the Illustrating Mental Health conference by Worcester University.

2019 // Vlag & Wimpel, an honourable mention awarded by the jury of the Gouden Penseel and Zilveren Penseel awards (for illustrations in children’s literature). (Als Verdriet op bezoek komt, Leopold (the Dutch translation of When Sadness Comes to Call, Andersen Press)

2018 // Winner of the Sally Goldsworthy Bursary, issued by Discover Centre in London.

2016 // Winner of a scholarship from the Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds, to study at the MA Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art.