María J. Guarda is an award-winning Chilean illustrator and graphic designer. She studied graphic design at the Universidad Católica de Chile, earned an MA in illustration from Camberwell College of Arts at the University of the Arts London and an MA in children’s book illustration from Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University. She was the recipient of the 2018 Macmillan Prize for Illustration for her then work in progress, Paloma Volo (Paloma Flew) – now Paloma Flies Away. María J. Guarda lives in Santiago, where she teaches illustration. Find her on Instagram as @mjguarda_ilus.