Byatt, Jo: - nJo was born in Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. Even though she lived by the sea, she wasnt a huge fan of sand. She still lives nearby with her husband, two daughters, and Ziggy Stardust the pug. A childrens illustrator all of her professional life, Jo is self-taught and works digitally. She has been a member of SCBWI since 2014. Although Jo has illustrated over forty childrens books to date, she is very proud of the fact that Bea by the Sea is her first authored book.n