Every manuscript we proofread, every eBook we design, and every paperback we publish, is the result of our amazing team all working together to make one another’s ideas stronger. At Rowanvale, this is possible because every one of us strives towards a common goal — creating the best experience for those embarking on their self-publishing journey.
Find out more about the amazing people behind Rowanvale below.

Cat Charlton

Managing Director

Cat is Rowanvale’s Managing Director. A force to be reckoned with, she is the driving force behind sales, marketing and strategy. Cat founded Rowanvale Books in 2012, after her father had a poor experience with a big-name self-publishing company. Having studied Psychology at Exeter University, she has since completed further studies in Leadership and Management. In her spare time, Cat can be found raising her two sons in the Welsh countryside and going on various road-trips around the UK.

Mingyu Wang

Scheduling Assistant
Alice Hunt
​​​​Senior Designer
Mingyu has a background Accounting & Finance from Cardiff Business School. His experience at an American advertisement agency provided him with sound financial analyst skills and business ethics. After finishing his undergraduate degree, he decided to stay in Cardiff and experience more of the life and culture of Wales. He has a passion for music and enjoys OST and classical genres the most. He is a member of the Quaynotes Choir, based in Cardiff Bay. ​
Having loved books for as long as she can remember, Alice knew she wanted to have a career in publishing. She graduated with a first class degree in Graphic Design, helping her to live out her dream of designing books for a living. In her spare time, Alice loves to explore nature, learn new crafts such as knitting, and of course, read. Her favourite genres include fantasy, thrillers and recently discovered, non-fiction.

Matthew Stanfield

​BAB Service Co-Ordinator

Matt graduated from their MA in English Literature in 2026 and has long dreamed of joining the publishing industry. They have a love of everything fantasy and horror, and can often be found in their garden scaring themselves with their latest book purchase. When Matt's not reading they enjoy deafening themselves with their guitar and going to metal gigs.
Emily Abdel-Megid
HR & Recruitment Administrator &
​BAB Service Co-Ordinator
Emily has a BA in Literature and Creative Writing and specialises in Scriptwriting, but she first discovered her love for publishing when she worked as an editor for a children’s book, and again as an undergraduate at Cardiff University. Her favourite genres are fantasy, romance and murder mysteries, and she loves to enjoy them on a comfy sofa or at the beach! 

Ella Simons

HR & Recruitment Administrator

Ella has a background in Media, Journalism and Culture from Cardiff University. She has a range of experience in publishing, marketing and communications. She has a passion for storytelling and helping others and feels Rowanvale is the perfect place for explore these passions further. In her spare time, Ella loves to read, go to concerts and play netball!
Nadir Ahmed-Ali
Finance Administrator
Nadir’s background in finance has given him a strong affinity for numbers, and he’s particularly detail-orientated. When reading, Nadir usually leans towards non-fiction books, as he enjoys gaining knowledge from his reads. He spends most of his free time playing football. 

Yolanda Martinez

Project Account Manager

From a young age, Yolanda has had a fascination with reading and learning. After completing her BA in English Literature at Nottingham Trent University, she went on to complete an MA in International Relations. This love of books has brought her into the publishing world and she is excited to be a part of Rowanvale.
In her time off, Yolanda loves travelling and has an extensive list of possible destinations (all recommendations welcome). She also enjoys the gym, going on long walks and getting lost in a good book!
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Millie Tynan

Project Account Manager

Millie joined the team as a Project Account Manager, bringing a strong background in English Literature and a passion for guiding projects from concept to completion. Outside of work, Millie enjoys spending her evenings and weekends hiking the trails of Staffordshire, Cheshire and the West Midlands. She enjoys combining her love for storytelling with her organisational skills to support independent voices in publishing.

Emily Blackburn-Jones

Project Account Manager

Emily has a background in operations management and events management, including working with the Hay Festival. Her background supports smooth project coordination and strong communication, helping guide authors through their publishing journey. Outside of work, she enjoys a good murder mystery novel and going for scenic walks.

Rebecca Harrison

Project Account Manager

Becca studied Ancient History at Cardiff University. Watching worlds come to life on the page is what sparked her passion for the publishing industry. She enjoys trying new genres from dystopian fiction to historical fiction.  When she is not losing herself in a book you might find her crocheting with her cat or off on a scuba diving trip.

Jessica Pillinger

Publishing Advisor

Jessica has a background in English literature and creative writing. Her keen interest in creative writing has inspired her to help authors get published and her love for literature is what led her to the publishing world. In her spare time, she enjoys getting lost in Greek mythology and she has a keen interest for screenwriting and all things film!
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Nikola Andrzejczyk
Publishing Advisor & Social Media Assistant
​​Nikola has a background in Psychology and Marketing, two interests she’s very passionate about. As a lifelong book lover, she especially enjoys getting lost in fantasy and murder mysteries. Her love for stories combined with her interest in marketing has led her to the world of publishing. In her free time, Nikola enjoys travelling with her friends, playing guitar, and immersing herself in books!

Indianna Richmond-Turner

Writing Advisor Team Co-Ordinator

Indianna has a background in Medieval English Literature and is eager to bring her love of history and reading to the publishing world and help authors achieve their goals. Whilst she enjoys all forms of fantasy and historical non-fiction, her favorite authors will forever be Suzannah Lipscomb and J.R.R Tolkien. When she’s not working her way through a very long book, she enjoys embroidering secondhand clothes, playing cozy games online and collecting vintage leather hardbacks, of which she currently has 9! 

Aoife Smith​

​Writing Advisor​ Team Co-ordinator
Aoife has always been a bit of a bookworm, which sparked her early interest in the world of books. During her time doing Media Studies at university, she has grown a passion for creative industries and is very excited to be behind the scenes in the publishing industry and to be a part of the production of books. In her spare time, she loves diving into a new book, specifically a romance, thriller, or sometimes even a horror, as well as spending a nice night in with her friends and a good film!

Alison Jack

Writing Advisor

Alison is an experienced editor after more than ten years of working with many fabulous authors. Specialising in fiction, she loves the rich variety of author voices and feels privileged to be a part of the publishing process.

Ellie Owen

Writing Advisor

​​Ellie joined Rowanvale in 2017.  She enjoys books from every genre and market but has a particular love for science fiction and fantasy. If she had to pick, she'd say her favourite authors are Joe Abercrombie and Tamsyn Muir. When she's not reading, writing or editing, she can be found playing Dungeons and Dragons, watching anime and getting far too emotionally invested in video games.
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). As an author, she is represented by Harry Illingworth of DHH Literary.

Jaide Long

Writing Advisor​​

For as long as she can remember, Jaide has been obsessed with the magic of words. After completing a BA in Media, Communications, Politics and International Relations, she interned at an Australian travel magazine publisher. After taking a few years off to have three children, Jaide returned to the publishing world and joined Rowanvale Books. In her spare time, Jaide watches movies of all genres (except horror!), plays boardgames with her kids and explores her local Vendée countryside. She also enjoys the odd puzzle or classic novel with a glass of red wine!

Matt Webster-Moore

Writing Advisor

Matt would like to say he’s been obsessed with books since early childhood (like everyone else in the field, it seems). But if he did, he’d be lying. Admittedly, his foray into fiction didn’t get going until he’d picked up Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights somewhere around the age of 15. The rest, as they say…   Now you’d be hard-pressed to find him without his nose buried in a book; his favourite authors include Robin Hobb, Philip Fracassi, and Adrian Tchaikovsky (and, of course, Pullman). After a long stretch of working in retail, a plot twist saw him earning a degree in English literature and philosophy before training as a proofreader with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), of which he is a Professional Member.   He adopts a friendly, encouraging, and honest approach during every working relationship. In his spare time, you’ll probably find him building a book nook, watching TV shows, or adding EVEN more books to his TBR pile.

Jane Spencer
​Writing Advisor
Having graduated in Psychology, Jane trained as a proofreader in 1996. She put her career on hold to home educate her four children, but used her editing skills in several part-time roles, including working in graphic design and running her own indie publishing house.  
With her children grown, Jane was finally able to build on her skills and became a full-time editor in 2018. She is now a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), working for publishers and independent authors. In fiction, most of her experience has been within the genres of science fiction, fantasy, contemporary fiction and romance. Jane also edits non-fiction, specialising in RPG, psychology, self-help books, memoir, alternative education and geocaching! She particularly enjoys working with new authors, and she strives to always be honest yet encouraging in her edits. 
When she isn’t working, she is often reading a wide variety of genres, although she has a penchant for fantasy and dystopian fiction. She can also be found gaming, quizzing and attempting to grow vegetables!

Kayleigh Parmley

​​Designer
Kayleigh is a freelance designer and Illustrator in Cardiff. She runs a community retail space in the Castle Arcade for small artists and illustrators. She loves having the opportunity to find and explore new talent Wales has to offer! In her spare time she loves to read, crochet and video games, each very different, but it’s definitely her special zen time!

Carys Pedler

​​Designer
Carys is an illustrator, based in Cardiff, and has her own small business. After studying BA Hons Illustration at UWTSD, she started her own shop, stocking prints and stickers, and began freelancing in illustration. She uses a combination of traditional and digital methods to create her illustrations as she love the hand made feel it gives to her illustrations. Carys love injecting her humour and sarcasm into her illustrations, creating witty and unique characters. She is excited to help you bring all your visions to life! 

Alison Birch

Writing Advisor​

After a long career as a clinical scientist in Europe's largest teaching hospital, in 2018 Alison had something of a midlife crisis and retrained as a copyeditor and proofreader. This turned out to be her dream job – so much so that she is now an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and an Approved Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). 
During her career, she has edited material on subjects as diverse as nanomedicine, property developing and Swiss cheese. Although she has a particular expertise in material with a medical or life science slant, she is equally happy editing a wide variety of fiction genres, from hard-boiled police procedural to historical romance.
She aims to bring a friendly, open and collaborative approach to all of her work and prides herself on having a wide general knowledge and interest in the world. When she isn’t working, she can often be found reading literary fiction, playing GeoGuessr, or building Lego sets that she pretends are her son’s.

Lila LaBine

​Writing Advisor
Lila's lifelong love of reading and order led her to obtain a certificate in copyediting from the University of California-San Diego Extended Studies program. Now, she spends her time helping authors feel confident in their writing. While she enjoys reading most contemporary fiction, Lila especially loves stories that feature women protagonists. Most of her editing experience has been within the genres of women's fiction, romance, and psychological thrillers. When she's not reading or editing, Lila spends time outside, usually photographing flowers of all kinds.

Chrissie Yeomans

​Designer
Chrissie is a digital artist and designer. She originally studied Computer Games Arts at university but ended up loving illustration more than anything else. She has a huge love for books, TV shows, games and any story-driven media. Her favourite genres are comedy and mystery/horror. She even writes a bit of comedy in my spare time.

Felipe Betim

​​Designer
Felipe Betim is a passionate digital designer and illustrator based in Brazil with experience in the international market. Over the years, he have collaborated with authors and publishers to create captivating book covers and illustrations that resonate with diverse audiences, promoting inclusivity and cultural understanding.

Josh Lambert

Writing Advisor

After graduating university with a degree in Creative Writing, Josh started working with authors and publishing houses as a freelance editor. Seven years later, with further publishing training and a Professional Membership with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, they have hundreds of edited titles under their belt. Though they specialise in literary and genre fiction, they are a reading omnivore, working on everything from YA fiction to academic publishing on literature and history. They do have a soft spot for experimental fiction (think Mark Z. Danielewski and B.S. Johnson) as well as translated fiction and fresh, strange titles (say, K. Ming Chan, China Miéville, and Julia Armfield). In their free time they can be found writing on the coast, gaming, or trying to untangle cryptic crossword clues. ​

Annie Percik

​Writing Advisor
Annie is never without a book to read - and she always has at least one audiobook and one physical read on the go at any one time. Her teenage years were defined by fantasy and science-fiction, both of which she still enjoys - but she has broadened her horizons in recent years, to include historical fiction, romance (especially if it's queer), thrillers and literary fiction. This expansion in taste has as least partially been prompted by her starting her own YouTube channel (co-hosted by her giant teddy bear, Stanley), all about her reading. In terms of editing, Annie specialises in fantasy, self-help and memoir, but has experience in many other genres, both fiction and non-fiction. When not working or reading, Annie is a keen knitter and produces a monthly media review podcast with her husband, Dave. They also enjoy playing board games and geocaching together.

Iain Hill

​​Designer
Iain is a graphic designer, illustrator and artist who has been working in design and print for over 20 years. After studying BA (Hons) Illustration at the University of Lincoln, he has thrown himself into the creative world and had many roles within print and design. Books are a great area to work in as it is an opportunity to blur the lines of creative disciplines.

Alex Mansfield

​​Designer
Alex is a digital artist and designer. He studied Creative Arts Practice at Bath Spa and graduated in 2021. He enjoys Science fiction and its various styles, building worlds is something he is passionate about. He loves working with colours and shapes and how they can achieve different results based solely on their implementation into a greater framework.  Whether that be based around a story or atmosphere it’s that injection of life that he enjoys the most about making stuff.

Sandipan Santra

​​Designer
Sandipan is a digital artist with over 5 years of professional experience, specialising in concept art, children’s books, and storytelling illustrations. His work ranges from whimsical cartoon styles to detailed painterly fantasy, allowing flexibility to match the tone and mood of a wide variety of projects. 
He has illustrated more than 20 published children’s books and works in game and concept art. My strength lies in adapting to different styles while maintaining strong character expression, storytelling, and colour harmony. 
Working digitally, he combines painterly textures with modern tools to ensure high-quality, print-ready illustrations that balance creativity with efficiency. 
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Dylan Chattoe

​​Designer
Dylan is an artist from South Wales. He studied BA (Hons) Illustration at the University of South Wales. He has been working as an illustrator since. Dylan enjoy narrative illustration, like comics or graphic novels and character illustration in general, in a fun, eye-catching art style.