Fatima is an experienced graphic designer and illustrator who has decided to turn her talents to the world of picture books. She was enchanted by Cambridge during a visit to England for a Spice Girls concert and returned to study at ARU two years later. We chatted to her to find out more…

• Name: Fatima

• Home country: Peru

• University: Anglia Ruskin

• Course: MA Children’s Book Illustration

Get to know Fatima - 3 quick questions

• What's your favourite illustrated book? 

“My favorite picture book is a silent book called Bárbaro by the brazilian artist Renato Moriconi. I love it because it's a sequential image about a simple activity and reminds of childhood, adventure and love. With a few pages, the artist reflects a tone of humour in the illustrations and ending that fits perfectly for the audience because it’s unexpected.”

• What's a story about your home country that you love to share with others? 

“I always remember the classification of Peru to the world cup in 2018 after 36 years. It was a moment of celebration and union in every part of the country. People were dancing, sharing, laughing in the street, there was a happy environment everyday. I have this image of one of my older brothers, because he's a soccer fan. He was almost crying about the first match in Russia after a long time because it was his first time seeing our country in a World Cup.”

• What would you like to do after graduation? 

“Continue illustrating books! I would love to work in the UK and perhaps become a teacher, but I would need more preparation as it’s a huge responsibility. I see myself exploring other platforms as an illustrator - I’d enjoy mixing with other people in similar fields, like film studies students.”

Evolving as an illustrator…

“When I finished my graduate degree in Peru, I wanted to develop further in illustration. I studied in Argentina for a year but wanted to go to Europe because I know of a lot of talented people and teachers there. One of those is Martin Salisbury, who’s a great illustrator and a professor at ARU! I knew the course would be a big step in my career and life as it’s the first time I’ve studied by myself in a new country. I also know some Mexican students who’ve graduated from this course who told me it’s changed their lives. 

I’m really enjoying it so far, it’s demanding but exciting. I love drawing and this is a new way to approach it because I’ve never done this before. I’ve learned so much and I’m only two months in! I can’t wait to go home and use the skills I’ve gained to draw parts of my city.”

From Peru to ARU…

“I came to England with my family three years ago for a Spice Girls concert - my brother is a big fan and we knew it’d be a once in a lifetime opportunity. We visited Cambridge for a day and saw the city, as well as speaking to the course leader at ARU. That’s when I knew I wanted to study there. I fell in love with the uni, the campus and the Ruskin Gallery building. I knew it would be an amazing place to study. 

The most exciting part so far has been discovering the course modules and working on something different every day. I feel like I’ve developed not only my drawing style but also the way I see things. It’s changed my vision as an artist and an illustrator. I knew it would be life changing, but wasn’t expecting it to change my whole mindset! 

If I had to choose something challenging I’d say the food - I miss my Peruvian food! At first, the language barrier was tricky. I’m very shy so it took confidence to communicate my ideas. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many different people who support each other. The teachers are very understanding and always there for you. You notice a difference when you travel to big cities like London, not everyone is so patient!”  

Sharing experiences online… 

“When I saw the Ambassador role advertised, I liked that it would involve sharing my own experience and daily life via digital channels. I was already doing that on my personal accounts as I love to share with family and friends, so thought it’d be nice to do it for the uni too - almost like a calling for me! The work is flexible and I enjoy being part of the university community in this way too. Creating new content for the international social media account is a chance to discover myself more and integrate into life at ARU. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences as a CampusConnect Ambassador too!” 

Fatima leaves us with some fantastic illustrations (below) and advice for students looking to follow in her footsteps: “It’s a fast-paced course that needs dedicated time, so you need to be prepared to throw yourself in and get involved. I’d say even if you’re already publishing books, coming here to study will be valuable because you learn so much. It’s important to come without any preconceptions. I’d 100% make the same decision again if I could!”