Leila in Saffron

Rukhsanna Guidroz was born in Manchester, England. With a Persian-Indian father and a Chinese mother, Rukhsanna was always drawn to traveling to faraway places. After studying French at King’s College, London, and political science at the Sorbonne, Paris, she left for the steamy shores of Hong Kong. There, she worked as a reporter for the Hong Kong Standard daily newspaper, and later as a producer of the current affairs show Hong Kong Today for RTHK’s Radio 3. She also wrote features for in-flight magazines for China Airlines, Qantas, and Emirates. Inspired by all her life experiences from Europe to Asia, and now to Hawaii, Rukhsanna has many written adventures to share.

Dinara Mirtalipova is a self-taught illustrator and designer. Born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, she studied computer science at the Tashkent State University of Economics, however her true passion was always pattern and illustration. Raised in Soviet Uzbek culture, Dinara’s artwork is greatly influenced by Uzbek and Russian folklore. Currently, Dinara works from her home studio in Sagamore Hills, Ohio. She uses a wide range of materials and tools, such as linoleum block, gouache, acrylic, and more.