DAVID SALARIYA Book Creator • Designer • Author • Illustrator • Publisher
David Salariya was born in Dundee, Scotland. He is an author, artist, and book designer. He founded his children's publishing company The Salariya Book Company in 1989 later adding the imprints: Book House, Scribblers and Scribo. He has created and designed over fifty series of children's books, including the bestselling You Wouldn't Want To Be…! The Spectacular Visual Guides, A Very Peculiar History and many, more.
DAVID SALARIYA
Timeline
DAVID SALARIYA
1954
A brief overview from 1954 to 2024: Young and vibrant to old and out of print - the highs, the lows, hits, misses, misfires, mistakes set against a background of British and USA major events defining 70 years
David Salariya Born, Dundee,
Scotland
1954: End of food rationing – Meat and bacon rationing ends, marking the end of food rationing imposed during World War II. 1955: Disneyland opens, Florida. 1956: Suez Crisis – British forces join the invasion of Egypt in response to the nationalisation of the Suez Canal.1957: Sputnik launches 1958: Launch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) – First Aldermaston March organised. 1959: Launch of RMS Queen Elizabeth II – Iconic ocean liner launched from Clydebank Glasgow. First Mini car produced – The British Motor Corporation launches the iconic Mini.
1959
Ancrum Rd Primary School, Dundee
1960: British Empire Day renamed Commonwealth Day – Reflecting the changing nature of the British Empire. 1961:UK applies to join the EEC – First application to join the European Economic Community. 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis – The UK supports the US during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 1963: American President John Kennedy is assassinated. Dallas, Profumo Affair – Scandal involving Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, impacts the government. 1964: The Beatles take America – The Beatles' US tour sparks Beatlemania and British Invasion. 1965: Abolition of the death penalty for murder in the UK. 1966: England wins the World Cup – England’s national football team wins the FIFA World Cup.
1966
Harris Accademy, Dundee
1967: Release of Sgt Pepper’s.’The Summer of Love’, more than 150 Race riots take place in the USA. 1968: Britain’s first heart transplant. 1969: First man on the moon – Although a global event, it greatly influenced the UK's culture and science
1970: Decimalization announced – UK prepares for decimal currency, fully implemented in 1971. 1971: Decimal Day – UK officially switches to decimal currency. 1972: Bloody Sunday – British soldiers shoot unarmed protesters in Northern Ireland. 1973: Sydney Opera House opens. UK joins the EEC – United Kingdom officially becomes a member of the European Economic Community
1973
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee
1974: Miners' strike and three-day week – Energy crisis and industrial action cause nationwide disruption. 1975: UK referendum on EEC membership – Public vote confirms UK's continued membership in the EEC. 1976: James Callaghan becomes Prime Minister – Following Harold Wilson's resignation. 1977: Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II – Celebrating 25 years on the throne. 1978: Winter of Discontent – Widespread strikes lead to severe disruption.
1978
Freelance Illustrator,
London
1978: Winter of Discontent – Widespread strikes lead to severe disruption. 1979: Margaret Thatcher becomes Prime Minister – First female Prime Minister of the UK. 1980: SAS storm the Iranian Embassy – Dramatic end to the siege in London.
1981
Reader's Digest Field Guide To Trees And Shrubs Of Great Britain published
1981: Brixton riots – Racial tensions and economic hardship lead to major riots in London. Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer. 1982: Falklands War – UK engages in conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. 1983: Conservative landslide in general election – Margaret Thatcher wins a second term. 1984: The Macintosh computer is launched. Miners' strike begins – Major industrial action against pit closures. 1985: Live Aid concert – Global concert organised by Bob Geldof to combat Ethiopian famine.
1973-1978 David Salariya studied illustration and printmaking at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, specialising in book design in his post-graduate year. He trained to be an art teacher at the University of Sussex.
1986
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1978 David Salariya completed his post-graduate year and moved to London, working in a bakery before starting his freelance career as an illustrator with publishers:
Reader's Digest and Kingfisher Books in London and then Giunti Marzocco in Florence.
Book Illustrator: The Reader's Digest Book Of Trees, History As Evidence: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans,
Pre-History. The Children's Book Of Domesday England. The Children's History
of Great Britain.
Magazine: Garden Answers - Monthly Article
Editorial Packager: Macdonald Young Books: Giunti Marzocco
There & Then
Book Illustrator: The Reader's Digest Book Of Trees, History As Evidence: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans,
Pre-History. The Children's Book Of Domesday England. The Children's History
of Great Britain.
Magazine: Garden Answers - Monthly Article
Editorial Packager: Macdonald Young Books: Giunti Marzocco
There & Then
1989
The Salariya
Book Company
Editorial packager:
Simon & Schuster, Macdonald Young Books, Franklin Watts and Macmillan are UK clients.
1990: Poll tax riots – Protests against the Community Charge (poll tax) in London. 1991: Gulf War – UK forces participate in the liberation of Kuwait
Founded by David Salariya in 1989 The Salariya Book Company and later its imprints: Book House, Scribblers, and Scribo represent David’s belief that his books were portals for children to travel on unlimited adventures into the real world and beyond ‘open a book and unlock the future’. David's picture books and fiction invited his young readers to take a leap into their imaginations with amazing artwork and, most importantly, humour. The Salariya Book Company has published a wide range of books over the course of thirty-three years, building future generations of readers with retellings of classic novels in the Grafffex series to 'horrible things you'd rather not know' in the astonishingly lengthy multivolume series 'You Wouldn't Want to Be...'
Children's non-fiction books created & designed by David Salariya published by Franklin Wats:
Timelines, New View, The X Ray Picture Book Series, World Wise, A Very Peculiar History (Version 1).
1990
Times Educational Supplement Award for Senior Information Book of the Year.
Inside Story Egyptian Pyramid, Created & Designed by David Salariya. written by Jacqueline Morley,
illustrated by John James & Mark Bergin. Published by Simon & Schuster Young Books.
The 'Inside Story' series was later republished by The Salariya Imprint 'Book House' as 'Spectacular Visual Guides'
1990: Poll tax riots – Protests against the Community Charge (poll tax) in London. 1991: Gulf War – UK forces participate in the liberation of Kuwait. 1992: Black Wednesday – The UK is forced to withdraw from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM).
Created & Designed
In 1985 David Salariya began to conceive, create, design and commission children’s non-fiction books, working as a ‘packager’ creating books for the publishers: Franklin Watts, Simon & Schuster. The new series included: Inside Story, Timelines, The X Ray Picture Book’s, How Would You Survive, A Very Peculiar History and many more.
Milestones & Awards
2007
2007 English 4-11 Awards for the Best Children’s Books Runner-up WOW (World of Wonder) Rainforest, Created and designed by David Salariya. Written and illustrated by Carolyn Franklin. Published by Book House
2009
All About Me by David Salariya.
All About Me: A Baby’s Guide to Babies published by Random House. CCBC’s (Cooperative Children’s Book Centre, School of Education, University of Wisconsin, Madison. USA) choices 2009.
2009
2009 English 4 -11 Best Children’s Illustrated Book Awards (Shortlisted)
The Secret Journal of Victor Frankenstein: On the Workings of the Human Body
created, designed and written by David Salariya.
Salariya Imprints
In 1989 David Salariya founded Salariya and then its imprints: Book House 2002, Scribblers 2007 and Scribo 2009, building a small family independent children’s publishing house prizing innovation, inclusion, humour and quality above all else. In 1999 David created and designed the best selling You Wouldn’t Want to be…! series which went on to be translated into 36 languages.
Milestones & Awards
2009
Independent Publishers Guild. Publisher of the Year: The Salariya Book Company. (runner up).
2010
2013
Independent Publishers Guild, Children’s Publisher of the Year: David Salariya - The Salariya Book Company.
ALCS Information Writers Award.
The Danger Zone: Avoid Working on a Medieval Cathedral! (UK) You Wouldn’t Want To Work On A Medieval Cathedral (USA)
Created and designed by David Salariya, written by Fiona Macdonald and illustrated by David Antram (UK Book House, USA Scholastic)
Emerging Technologies
David, ever keen to embrace emerging technologies, collaborated on multi dimensional CD Rom’s in 1995 and Augmented Reality in 2010. In 2017, David inaugurated the Stratford-Salariya Children's Picture Book Prize with the Stratford Literary festival for unpublished picture book writers and illustrators.
Milestones & Awards
2014
ALCS Information Writers Award The Danger Zone:
Avoid Being Sir Isaac Newton! (UK) You Wouldn't Want to Be Sir Isaac Newton (USA) (Runner up) Created and designed by David Salariya, written by Ian Graham and illustrated by David Antram (UK Book House, USA Scholastic)
2015
2015 Junior Design Awards (Shortlisted)
You Wouldn’t Want To Live Without Antibiotics! UK Book House. Created and designed by David Salariya, written by Anne Rooney, illustrated by David Antram.
2021
Spark! School Book Awards (7-9 Fiction category).
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Samurai!
Series created and designed by David Salariya,
written by Tim Collins and illustrated by Isobel Lundie.