Martha Keswick

Martha Keswick (born 2 October 1974 in Cambridge, UK) is a British author of children's books. She is best known for her published work, including Max and Mei picture books, Pangu comic books, Zhongguo Mingren factual biographies and COPE books. Martha graduated from Newcastle University (UK) with a degree in Combined Studies, majoring in English Literature. Keswick worked for Chrysalis Distribution in London and the BBC Worldwide office in Hong Kong. Alongside her work as a children's book author, she sits on the Keswick Foundation board, serving as Chairman of Excom 2013-2020.
=== Career ===
Martha's keen interest in Chinese culture and the Chinese language led her to study Mandarin Chinese at the National University of Singapore in 2002. In 2006, Martha decided to author bilingual children's books and wrote the series of educational picture books Max and Mei, which are illustrated by award winning Japanese illustrator Mariko Jesse, and published in 2007 by PPP in Hong Kong. Max and Mei are neighbors and best friends who meet the 12 different Chinese zodiac animals in their adventures, whilst also helping young readers to improve their Chinese language skills. The partnership between Martha and Mariko Jesse has been a long-lasting relationship which has led to the publication of around 20 books.
Martha's second educational series, Pangu, is a collection of Manga style comic books also published by PPP. It is inspired by the Legend of Pangu, the first living being and creator of all according to Chinese mythology. This series follows the adventures of twins Lily and Kai, calling on Pangu and his supernatural powers. The comic books present a dialogue-driven context, which helps children comprehend Chinese vocabulary. Singapore-based artist Elvin Ching illustrated this series. In 2012, she authored Zhongguo Mingren (Famous People of China), a collection of factual biographies about key figures in China's history, among them Sun Yat-sen, Deng Yaping, Yuan Longping, and Yao Chen, Similar to Max and Mai and Pangu, these books are designed to facilitate children learning Mandarin through Chinese culture.
In 2018, Martha created a series of non-for-profit children's books aimed at increasing the disaster resilience of children, a vulnerable group in most communities at risk. This series, entitled COPE, is illustrated by Mariko Jesse, and counts on the support of Dr. Timothy Sim, a professor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and global expert on disaster risk reduction. Each COPE title focuses on a particular natural hazard: Earthquake, Tsunami, Landslide, Flood, Cyclone, Storm surge, Wildfire, and Drought. The COPE series narrates the lives of four orphan children, Candy, Ollie, Ping and Eddy, also known as the COPE squad, under the guidance of a Grand Mistress Fu, while embarking on journeys of discovery into the world of Disaster. Ultimately, this series of books aims to educate children from all over the world, and empower them to act as "COPE Champions", and becoming role models in their communities. Each book is the result of an international partnership with academic institutions in different countries, and leans on the advice of Scientific Advisors, the World Meteorological Organization and the Hong Kong Observatory.
=== Publications ===
==== Max and Mei - Illustrated by Mariko Jesse ====
* Max and Mei Meet the Tiger (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Snake (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Rooster (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Rat (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Rabbit (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Pig (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Ox (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Monkey (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Horse (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Goat (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Dragon (2007)
* Max and Mei Meet the Dog (2007)
==== Pangu Comic Books - Illustrated by Elvin Ching ====
* Pangu: The Tsunami (2010)
* Pangu: Wushu Championships (2010)
* Pangu: Sky Lanterns (2010)
* Pangu: Flying Dragon Bones (2010)
* Pangu: The Avalanche (2010)
* Pangu: Xian Adventure (2010)
==== Zhongguo Mingren ====
* Zhongguo Mingren: Sun Yat-Sen (2012)
* Zhongguo Mingren: Deng Yaping (2012)
* Zhongguo Mingren: Yuan Longping (2013)
* Zhongguo Mingren: Yao Chen (2013)
==== COPE Series - Illustrated by Mariko Jesse and edited by Dr. Timothy Sim ====
* Tsunamis published to commemorate World Tsunami Awareness Day, November 5th, 2018, in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and University of Oxford. (2018)
* Earthquakes published in collaboration with the University of Oxford and GeoHazards International. (June 2018)
* Floods published in collaboration with the National University of Malaysia. (October 2019)
* Cyclones published in collaboration with James Cook University. (May 2020)
* Storm Surges published in collaboration with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Disaster Preparedness Response Institute.https://www.hkjcdpri.org.hk/ (October 2020)
* Landslides published in collaboration with World Vision International (March 2021)
* Wildfires published in a collaboration with the University of Pretoria and the San Francisco Department of Public Health. (August 2021)
* COPE COVID 19 published in collaboration with UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office. (4 June 2020)
* Droughts published in collaboration with National Climate Centre, the Shandong University, and Yunnan University. (December 2021) 
Category:Alumni of Newcastle University
Category:1974 births
Category:People from Cambridge