Children 's picture books illustrator & author

Circle, Lok Ling Yuen

Circle Yuen is a Hong Kong-born author and illustrator based in the UK.

She recently finished her MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. Alongside her MA studies, Circle worked with separated families support groups and co-launched Today is Friday, a picture book crowdfunding project for community education addressing family restructuring and co-parenting in Asia. Half of the picture books were gifted to families in need, including separated families and frontline professionals in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

In 2024, Circle won the FAB Prize - Publisher’s Prize Art Winner and was also a finalist for the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition with her project The Hiding Kite: A Story of a Family Storm. Her work centres on themes of family, resilience, and social justice, offering young readers hope and comfort during difficult times.

Circle is currently based in Nottingham, working from her home studio on her debut picture book, Our Dance: Living Apart, Time Together, which will be published by Graffeg in 2025.

Read more about my creative journey...

SELECTED AWARD/EXHIBITION

Illustrators' Exhibition, Bologna Children's Bookfair - Finalist / 2024

The FAB prize - Publisher’s Prize Art Winner / 2024

Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition - Finalist / 2024

《The NAE OPEN 2024》 (Group) UK / 2024

Unpublished Picture book Showcase 3 - Longlisted (EU) / 2021

INTERVIEWS/PRESS

Interview:2021. 9.19 Sunday Mingpao

Interview: 2021.8.18 Hong Kong Economic Times

Interview: 2020.3.8 South China Morning Post, The Week in Asia Interview

Five Asian Women who will make you rethink Gender Equality.