JAMES NORBURY IS THE CREATOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST-SELLER BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON AS WELL AS THE JOURNEY, THE CAT WHO TAUGHT ZEN, FOLLOWING THE MOON AND A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

ANIMALS AND NATURE ARE JAMES’ PASSION AND ALTHOUGH HE ORIGINALLY TRAINED TO BE A PARK RANGER, COMPLETING A DEGREE IN ZOOLOGY AT SWANSEA UNIVERSITY, HE WAS UNABLE TO FOLLOW THIS PATH AND INSTEAD WORKED AS A WRITER AND ARTIST.

AFTER 20 YEARS OF FINANCIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS, LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, JAMES DECIDED TO QUIT THE ARTS AND BUILD FLAT PACK FURNITURE FOR OTHER PEOPLE. BUT BEFORE HE DID THAT HE DECIDED TO TRY ONE LAST PROJECT…

JAMES HAD DEALT WITH A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN HIS LIFE BUT HAD TURNED TO SPIRITUALITY (BUDDHISM IN PARTICULAR) TO HELP HIM DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES. COMBINED WITH HIS WORK VOLUNTEERING FOR SAMARITANS TALKING TO CALLERS IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, JAMES FELT HE HAD MANY USEFUL IDEAS TO SHARE AND DECIDED TO PUT ALL THE THINGS HE’D LEARNED INTO A SERIES OF DRAWINGS ON INSTAGRAM.

THESE DRAWINGS FEATURED TWO ANIMALS - BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON - AND TOGETHER THEY EXPLORED THE WORLD, TALKED ABOUT ISSUES AND DRANK TEA.

THE INSTAGRAM WAS SO SUCCESSFUL HE DECIDED TO SELF-PUBLISH A BOOK OF HIS PICTURES, AND THAT IN TURN BECAME SO POPULAR HE COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH DEMAND. HE APPROACHED AN AGENT AND ENDED UP HAVING HIS WORK PUBLISHED BY PENGUIN MICHAEL JOSEPH.

SINCE PUBLISHING HIS FIRST BOOK BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON, JAMES HAS WRITTEN FOUR MORE BOOKS WHICH HAVE ALL BEEN INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLERS. HIS WORK HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO 35 LANGUAGES AND IN TOTAL, OVER 100 DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS OF HIS WORK HAVE BEEN MADE.

JAMES VISITS OTHER COUNTIES EACH YEAR TO TALK ABOUT HIS WORK AND HELP PEOPLE CREATE MORE PEACE IN THEIR LIVES.

JAMES LIVES IN SOUTH WALES WITH HIS WIFE AND FIVE CATS.

HE IS THE PATRON OF THE CHARITY SWANSEA CATS AND KITTENS AND WORKS IN THEIR SHOP ONE DAY A WEEK. WHEN HE’S NOT DRAWING OR WRITING, JAMES ENJOYS PLAYING METAL GUITAR, KARATE, READING, GAMES AND GENERALLY MESSING ABOUT. HE IS A STRICT VEGAN AND STRONGLY PROMOTES ANIMAL RIGHTS AND A REVERENCE FOR ALL NATURE.

HE HAS LIVED IN MALTA, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, THE FOREST OF DEAN, CHELTENHAM, SOUTH WALES AND ON A BOAT.