Headshot of Alice Harman, children’s creative non-fiction author, looking directly at the camera and smiling. The background is blurry, with the focus on Alice, but she appears to be stood outside in front of a building.

Hey! I’m Alice.

I’m a children’s author, and I help kids to explore our world and its wonders by writing and developing books that make big ideas feel exciting and easy to understand. I’m also an editor and author coach, helping writers create the books and careers that they’ve always dreamed of.

I’ve written more than 50 books and I’m always just as excited to get started on the next one – partly because it’s a great way to add to my author stash of bizarre facts. Did you know that gorillas burp when they’re happy? Or that art used to be an Olympic event?

My books have been translated into 15 languages, nominated for the UKLA and Blue Peter Book Awards, and featured in publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Some of my recent children’s books include Farting Fish, which celebrates 50 splendidly silly scientific discoveries, Mona Lisa and the Others (illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake!), and Art Sparks – an activity book exploring the Met in New York. I also recently wrote about sea slugs and ‘the world’s ugliest orchid’ in Atlas Obscura’s wonderful Wild Life book (for adults this time), and developed the Play with Matisse creative play kit to inspire children to make their own collage masterpieces!

Cover of Farting Fish written by Alice Harman, has a blushing fish surrounded by bubbles, under the sea with shades of blue to green as the water of the sea.
The cover of Art Sparks, written by Alice Harman, shows a cheetah wearing clothes and a backpack and holding a pencil and notebook, standing in a museum of art and sculptures on white stands, with yellow walls.
The cover of Mona Lisa and the Others, written by Alice Harman and illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake shows a turquoise wall with Mona Lisa hanging whilst sketched images of three children look at the painting, point to it and try to recreate it on their paper.
The cover of Atlas Obscura Wild Life written by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer shows a red, green and blue coloured chameleon perched on top of a globe. There's a flying insect in the top right corner of the cover and a positive review from Ed Yong, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
The cover of Play with Matisse, a creative art kit box, created by Alice Harman, encourages children to "make a masterpiece" inspired by Henri Matisse. The box is vibrant with colours and shapes inspired by Matisse's art.
The cover of Modern Art Explorer written by Alice Harman, children's creative non-fiction author, shows a child wearing glasses standing in front of a big piece of paper on a blue wall, writing the words 'Modern Art Explorer.

When I’m not writing, I’m often (predictably) reading – and I love children’s books just as much as the adults’ ones I’m ‘supposed’ to choose. I have a young daughter who also loves reading, and illustrating the home-made books that we make together – although she somehow manages to be in charge of the writing, too, so I’m essentially just her faithful scribe.

I live in a pretty town in Derbyshire, in the UK, with my husband, daughter and very silly cat. I love being out in nature, horse-riding, reading, yoga, going to art galleries and museums, watching fun TV sitcoms, and generally keeping my ADHD brain happy with lots of trying new things and learning new facts!

To see a selection of the books that I’ve written and edited, have a scroll through my portfolio. If you’d like some 1-to-1 support and guidance on writing your very own children’s book, check out my author coaching service, and if you’re interested in booking me for a school visit or a writing workshop, take a look here. You can get in touch with me directly through this contact form or by emailing info@aliceharman.com.

You can also stay in touch by signing up for my free Big Wide World email newsletter below!

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