The illustrator

Yutaro Kojima

Yutaro Kojima was born in Guatemala to Japanese parents. His mother, a diplomat, and his father, an artist, both backgrounds have served Yutaro well. He has degrees from America and Cambridge and has held high creative positions in advertising for Young & Rubicam New York, Dentsu Y&R Tokyo, and Saachi & Saatchi London and has won several international awards and competitions. He was a creative strategist at Facebook for a decade until June 2022. He is currently the director of Galatea Holdings Ltd. which is a digital likeness library and management company. They scan real-life artists, use the data to create a digital likeness, and manage its use.

Notwithstanding his highflying career, Yutaro’s first love remains art. I feel privileged that he read my book and was inspired to create a cover. The mysterious woman on the cover is most intriguing. “Who is she?” people may ask. Is she the infamous Leila Pain from the novel? It would not surprise me in the least if she were. Yutaro always sees beauty in others. His creative input does not stop here. He has in mind pictures of some of the best-loved characters in Glaston Town. So far, his portrayal of Jack Corbyn, Jimmie Allenn, Lee Jaccson, Mick Bullett, and D.C. Sharon Tyllor captures the real essence of those characters. True to his nature and talent, Yutaro has all sorts of innovative ideas for the book, which could break publishing ground rules.