Meet the author

Laura Brand.

Writer · United Kingdom

Laura Brand: author of Slow Down and Be Here Now, whose soothing, unhurried nature writing turns tiny everyday wonders into calm, mindful read-alouds.

Laura Brand is a British author and mother of two who lives in the English countryside, best known for The Joy Journal, her collection of crafty experiments and everyday creative play. Slow Down and Be Here Now is her first book for children, a companion to Magic Cat's million-copy bestselling Slow Down series. In it she gathers twenty tiny nature moments, a hummingbird sipping nectar, a pea shoot uncurling, a snail taking a slow drink, and holds each one still just long enough to truly notice it, pairing gentle facts with Freya Hartas's richly detailed illustrations. Named one of Waterstones' best children's books of its month, it makes mindfulness feel natural rather than instructed. Brand writes in a soothing, unhurried voice that suits winding down at bedtime and appeals to curious, nature-loving children aged five to eight and the grown-ups reading alongside them.