Alex Willan grew up in Louisville, KY where he favored art class over Saturday morning cartoons. While outside drawing trees in one such class, he was forced to dodge a driverless car which rolled backward down a driveway. This near-death experience troubled him little when compared to the devastating loss of his prized sketchbook, unfortunately crushed under a tire.

Alex overcame this early adversity and went on to earn his BFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. He also attended Illustration Academy where he studied with many award-winning illustrators, including C.F. Payne, Gary Kelley and Anita Kunz. Post grad took him to LA for several years before he settled in Chicago.

Through the years, Alex has exhibited in art galleries, painted murals, theater sets, and squirmy children’s faces, but his true love has always been children's books. He is an active member of SCBWI and in 2015 he won a mentorship with author/illustrator Matt Faulkner through the IL chapter.

When not working on his next writing or illustration project, Alex’s hobbies include: worrying that he should be working on his next writing or illustration project, worrying that his bookcase is going to collapse if he adds one more book, worrying he has spent the whole day with something in his teeth and no one has told him, and walking his dog on the beach.

Represented by:

Lori Kilkelly, Rodeen Literary Management:

lori@rodeenliterary.com