My name is Katy Coope (KT to silly internet people). I design things, wrangle code, draw pictures, write words, teach stuff and make noise. I grew up in Derbyshire, went to Uni in Hull and currently hang out in Manchester.
I've got a BA in English Lit and Philosophy, an MA in Contemporary Literature and Film, and I've been drawing and flinging html around for over 10 years. I currently spend a lot of my time as a frontend developer for Nowhere.
I grew up around the British traditional music scene and have a big passion for folk arts and heritage, so over the last few years as well as teaching with youth folk arts group Shooting Roots, I've been designing albums, websites and promo materials for the folk scene.
I had my first educational book published when I was 16 and since then I've done 2 more plus a picture book for reluctant readers, with my 3rd book 'How to Make Manga Characters' being nominated for the 2009 SOA Educational Writers Prize. I've taught drawing workshops up and down the country in libraries, schools and literature festivals.
What do I like
Reading, writing, coding, singing, composing, drawing, teaching. I am overenthusiastic about a lot of things. Some of those things include: Comics and manga, film, books and narrative in general—particularly anything a bit meta. Language and conlangs. Music, especially genre-mashing things and chiptune. Coffee and cocktail craft. I'm also really into Lindyhop.
I love it when contrasting things are put together. Mashes of fictional and musical genres. Shiny new technology immersed in old culture and natural media.
Sharing knowledge and supporting people who are just starting their creative journey is really important to me. The more we help people out, the more awesome things there'll be in the future.
Anything else?
I wear a lot of hats, both figuratively and literally.