Harriet Bailey was born in Lower Hutt soon after her parents emigrated from England. She grew up in a rural Waikato town, where she disliked long bush walks, but enjoyed looking after cats and their kittens, dogs, calves and rabbits. Her thirst for imagery and to paint pictures began early – she was always an avid reader and drawer. Favourite children’s books included those by Raymond Briggs, John Burningham, Ron Brooks and Maurice Sendak.

While at college she studied painting and printmaking followed by two years at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. Leaving to study illustration at the Christchurch School of Art & Design, she graduated from there with a Diploma in Visual Communications in 1997. Now working as a graphic designer in Wellington, she is freelancing and rediscovering her passion for illustrating. Harriet is particularly interested in books that evoke a range of emotions within children, where individualism is celebrated as a strength of character and the story concludes on a very satisfying note.