Jessica Bosworth Smith

Jessica Bosworth Smith is a visual artist who believes that illustration is a fluid and multifaceted form of storytelling. She has authored two children's books, The Straw Giant & The Crow and Liefie. 

Jessica's approach to her work is to constantly challenge herself and accepted norms and traditions within the field of illustration through experimental use of techniques and mediums. Her work often explores concepts of memory, history and the esoteric. Jessica received an Honours in Visual Studies (Illustration) Cum Laude from Stellenbosch University in 2016. Prior to that, she obtained her Fine Arts degree from Rhodes University in 2011. Between her qualifications she spent time working in Istanbul and Paris, and received a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (2015). She was also recently selected as one of Design Indaba's Emerging Creatives for 2017 and her previous book, Those Who Eat the Tail, has been selected for the ABSA l'Atelier competition 2017. 

The Straw Giant and the Crow is a heartfelt and off-the-wall story about a mysterious and unlikely relationship between a straw giant and a crow.

We begin our story in a field afar, which holds an incredible secret... a giant lives there who is made of straw. One winter, grumpy and miserable with his cold surroundings, the Straw Giant chases away all the other animals in his field. That is, until the Crow arrives and begins to leave him little gifts each morning. A sweet and subtle friendship emerges — but will the Crow be able to last the Winter Solstice? Will he stay to accompany the Straw Giant in his darkest time? And will their growing friendship defy the clutches of winter?

Smith's has an upcoming Imagnary House title called Liefie (a.k.a. Darling), which is due out in late 2019.