Meg at Sea

Helen Nicoll

Helen Nicoll was born in Natland, Westmorland, in 1937. She was educated at schools in Bristol, Devon and London. Nicoll married Robert Kime in 1970 and they had one daughter and one son.

In addition to the Meg and Mog series, Helen had a long and varied association with Puffin - as editor of the Junior Puffin magazine The Egg from 1977 - 1979, and as compiler of the popular children's poetry anthology Poems for Seven Year Olds and Under, illustrated by Michael Foreman. She owned and ran the audio company Cover to Cover for many years which produced the popular series of Puffin story tapes.

Helen lived in Marlborough, Wiltshire. She died on September 30, 2012.

Jan Pieńkowski

Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration (twice), Jan Pieńkowski is best known for Haunted House, his pop-ups and the Meg and Mog series, created with Helen Nicoll. His other work includes wonderfully evocative silhouette books such as Christmas and Easter, in the incomparable King James version. For the very young, he has written and illustrated the Nursery Books in bold and brilliant colours.