The Colourful World of Jim Kay

Barbora Trnková

If you consider yourself a Potterhead (for the uninitiated - an avowed fan of Harry Potter), then it's certainly no news to you, that a new illustrated edition of the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, has just been published - and it's available not only in English, but also for those of us, who prefer reading in Czech. However, when you look at the cover, it must be clear, that this time, it's not about the words, but the illustrations.

Just look at all four of them! I know, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but when you look at these books, you just can't help but wonder, what a beautiful story they must be hiding under the dust-jackets. And who is the author of these works of arts, you ask? Well, let me introduce you to Jim Kay.

Since he was little, this illustrator and printmaker from East Sussex has been interested in arts and nature, especially in botany and entomology. He followed his passion and started to study illustration at the University of Westminster based in Harrow, London. After graduation, he got a job in the Tate Britain gallery, or more precisely, in its library and archive. There he had a chance to work with personal papers of well-known painters, such as Stanley Spencer or Paul Nash.

At the same time, he started working at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew as an assistant curator for the Illustrations Collection. This way he gained access to herbariums and richly illustrated manuscripts from the era of British exploratory expeditions and got to see how these discoveries and findings were documented by artists of that time.

This experience definitely formed him as an illustrator and greatly influenced his drawing style and the subjects of his works. He often focuses on the relationship between nature and man, while also sharing his view on humanity's impact on the enviroment.

A crucial moment for Jim's career was his one-man exhibition in 2008, which took place in Richmond and where he presented his ideas for children's books. The exhibition was a huge success - children loved the illustrations, although the adults felt like they were overly dark. But the kids weren't the only ones captivated by the pictures. Jim was approached by a certain publisher and that was the start of his career as a freelance illustrator.

Since then, he has worked on several movies and TV projects as a concept artist and in 2012 he received the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations in Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls. Nowadays, Jim is a co-owner of a creative company called Creepy Scrawlers Ltd., where he works alongside a milliner Louise Clark. His first illustrated Harry Potter was released in 2015 and everyone has been full of praise for his work ever since.

Honestly, I'm not surprised. Jim Kay said in an interview, that hearing the news that he'll be the one illustrating the books was like an explosion of delight, and that's exactly the feeling his drawings elicit.

So make yourself a favor, read or - at least - flip through these beautiful editions and let the magical illustrations enchant you!