Irina Vinnik is an illustrator and designer from St Petersburg, Russia. I can read a little of Russian but you don't have to speak the language to appreciate the painstaking details she perfected in each of her elaborate illustrations. Her first book published recently, "The World of Dolls: Stories and Legends", probably excites designers more than their children.

Shaza's earliest memory of books was when her dad took her to her first book fair on his hip Scrambler bike. It was a noisy piece of metal but it was yellow and she loved it. Where others have gadgets and tutorials to help them get better with design, she has her trusty, unassuming, delicious books.

When you live in Langkawi, you are enveloped by nature. You wake up in the morning to bird songs, inhale a deep breath of fresh air and greet the regular racket-tailed drongos that come to visit your office window. Breakfast becomes a leisurely routine with a good book and a cup of coffee.