BASED IN lisbon, portugal, Kate PETERSON is an illustrator and the author of two books. HER WORK HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND is available at BOOKSELLERS WORLDWIDE.
A former academic turned author and illustrator, Kate’s work is characterized by a glass-half-full spirit and a big belief in the power of digging deeper. Rooted in optimism and a firm belief that both art and thinking big are for everyone, her books embrace critical thinking but bring levity to the table as a full and equal partner, challenging readers to examine their world and cheering them on in equal measure. As an author, her books ask big questions in accessible, everyday contexts; and as an illustrator, her pieces reflect her own answers to those questions, bringing fresh color and quirky new perspective to conceptual explorations of our world and what it means to be human. Her second book, a travel journal titled Around the World and Back Again: a Travel Journal for Everyone Who Loves to Get Away, hit the shelves in September of 2021.
HOW WE GOT HERE:
In the late 80s and early 90s, Kate grew up with a dad who worked in study abroad and blew her tiny mind by bringing home everything from origami cranes to chocolate bars you couldn’t get at Albertson’s.
In 2010-2011, Kate taught English in Greece for a year. She met the most wonderful people, she fell in love with Greece, she learned a ton about truly getting to know another place. Aaaand she ate everything. Every. Single. Thing.
In 2013, she got her Master’s in Literature and joined the workforce. In 2014, she started an animal art project. She worked on it in every second of her spare time, slowly teaching herself how to illustrate professionally and figuring out that the Venn diagram space between her academic background and her creative work could bring some serious magic.
In 2016, Kate married the guy of her dreams. They shared a unity pizza at the altar and walked down a bubble wrap aisle.
In 2017, You’re Weird came out, and Kate became a full-time author and illustrator.
In 2020, she stayed home, stress-ate a lot of chips, dreamed about traveling again all day every day, and lovingly made Around the World and Back Again as an ode to everything she missed about going to other places. (file under: good things that came out of quarantine)
In September of 2021, Around the World and Back Again hit the shelves of bookstores worldwide!
In spring of 2022, thanks to the generosity of the Alexa Rose Foundation, Kate spent a month in Lyon, France to research and conceptualize her next works.
And in fall of 2022, Kate, Nate, and their dog Andie moved to Portugal! Kate has plans to share stories and adventures from their new life abroad with you all soon. Stay tuned!
photos by Rita Judd Photography