Allie Esiri, who read Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University, is an accomplished curator and host of live poetry events at The National Theatre, The Bridge Theatre, and at Hay, Oxford, Bath and Cheltenham literary festivals. Her anthology A Poem for Every Day of the Year was in the best books of the year list in The Times and the Observer and the audiobook is read by Helena Bonham Carter and Simon Russell Beale.Zanna Goldhawk creates her illustrations from her seaside cottage in Cornwall. She takes huge inspiration from nature and animals, and has a mild obsession with colour and pattern (and coffee). Zanna studied illustration at the University of Gloucestershire, where she started her illustrated gifts and stationery business Papio Press with her husband. Now she splits her time between designing beautiful products and illustrating gorgeous books.

Poetry Anthologist Allie Esiri has picked 31 festive verses to read for every day of December. There's an ode to oxen by Thomas Hardy; a rhyme about Christmas Eve traffic by Wendy Cope; and a poem by Brian Bilston written in the shape of a Christmas tree. A perfect present.