Having grown up a proud Welshman, Sam always followed the common stereotype of a young boy from Wales by being Rugby obsessed. Little did he know that brewing slowly within him was a natural desire not to be a sportsman, but to be a writer. Although this realisation arrived later than expected, Sam started to explore his talent for story telling in his twenties by writing comedy material, and later completing a Masters dissertation in Counselling Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Sam’s genuine lightbulb epiphany moment came shortly after the birth of his daughter, Monica, in 2020.

Sam’s wife, Olivia, encouraged him to write a children’s book that combined his love for creativity, humour, character creation, but also intertwined his passion for kindness and mental health advocation. And so, Camilla the Gorilla was organically conceived. Sam hopes that this timeless and charming story can inspire both children and adults to be proud of who they are, but also to remain open minded and adaptable towards the feelings and perceptions of others. In the words of Raymond the Rhinoceros “Caring for other people is how we make this great world shine.”