Archive: Books Conceived, Created & Designed by David Salariya 1979-2022

About My Work

For more than 45 years, I have been creating children’s books, bringing together words, pictures, humour and design to spark curiosity and make complicated subjects inviting.

I work as a creator, designer, illustrator and author. A project might begin with a drawing, a question, an unexpected connection or an idea for how a book could work. From there, I develop its character: its structure, visual language, pace and the relationship between the words and pictures. For me, design is part of the storytelling.

In 1989, I founded The Salariya Book Company and established its imprints, Book House, Scribblers and Scribo. I originated and designed the majority of the books developed in-house, shaping their concepts and formats, commissioning writers and illustrators, and directing their development through to publication. Some I also wrote or illustrated myself.

This portfolio brings together a selection of that work, alongside illustrations and more recent projects. It reflects decades of invention and collaboration with talented writers, artists and publishers, and a continuing fascination with what happens when a reader turns the page.