Richard Merritt was born and bred in North London, UK, where he now lives and works. He has been drawing for as long as he's been able to hold a pencil. After having graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art, and gaining a BA(Hons) in Illustration from Kingston University 2004, he has worked for a variety of clients, picking up an award from the prestigious Association of Illustrators along the way.   While Richard loves nothing more than splashing around with colourful inks, he has recently taken up writing to complement his drawing, with Little Hare Books (an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont) providing the opportunity to release his first children's book, Take a Hike.