Circle Yuen is an author-illustrator making picture books about what children carry during family change — the feelings they have, but cannot yet say.
Circle Yuen (阮絡伶) is a UK-based author-illustrator originally from Hong Kong. Her work centres on children navigating moments of family change, attending to silence, rupture, and the shifting nature of belonging.
Informed by a decade working alongside families in social and community contexts, her practice remains grounded in lived realities while firmly anchored in the child’s perspective. She approaches complex emotional terrain with restraint, clarity, and quiet attentiveness.
Current & Upcoming Works
Her debut author-illustrator picture book, Our Dance (Graffeg, 2025), was developed in partnership with the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) and was shortlisted for the 2026 Klaus Flugge Prize.
Her forthcoming titles include Mama’s Wedding (Lantana Publishing, 2026), a story that considers remarriage and the shifting shape of home through the eyes of two sisters. Alongside her own writing, she is also illustrating Oakie (written by Isla McGuckin, Graffeg 2026), bringing her signature sensitivity to this moving story about navigating loss and finding resilience in the enduring strength of nature.
Recognition & Education
Circle holds an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. With a foundational background in Cultural Studies, her practice bridges the gap between academic research and visual storytelling, resulting in narratives that are both deeply moving and socially engaged.
Selected Honors
Shortlist, The Klaus Flugge Prize 2026
Finalist, Bologna Illustrators Exhibition 2024
Winner, The FAB Prize - Publisher’s Prize 2024
Finalist, Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition 2024
Critical Acclaim
"A strikingly thoughtful book which deals with family breakdown with such sensitivity and honesty. The narrative truly centres the child, deftly managing the trauma... stripping the story down to its emotional core."
— Letterbox Library (on Our Dance, 2026)
Featured Press
Resonate (2025) | Circle Yuen’s ‘Our Dance’: Addressing Family Change for UK Kids
An in-depth look at the first UK picture book on child contact centres.
South China Morning Post | Five Asian Women Rethinking Gender Equality
Recognition of Circle’s decade of social advocacy and leadership.
About the Work
Circle approaches illustration as a form of translation — transforming lived experience into a visual language that can hold what cannot yet be said.
Her work explores how picture books can create space for children to encounter complex emotions safely, through image, rhythm, and perspective.
This continues to shape every book she makes.
Read the full artist statement
Contact
Publishing Inquiries: Amy Milligan at Illo Agency amy@illoagency.com
Direct Inquiries: yuenlokling@gmail.com
"I am merely a vessel for the tears of longing, and my body is the instrument. I hope my voice encourages others to sing theirs."
- Circle Yuen