Award winning Rainham illustrator Esther Johnson has created a new giftware range inspired by local icon Charles Dickens.
Esther Johnson, 29, from Rainham, is the founder of Designed by Esther, a creative studio specialising in bespoke illustrations for museums, heritage sites and cultural organisations. Her business was launched in 2017 with support from The King's Trust Charity.
Since then, Esther’s distinctive designs have appeared in gift shops across the UK, with commissions from leading institutions including the Natural History Museum, the House of Commons, Canterbury Cathedral, Bath Abbey, and Historic Environment Scotland. To date, she has worked with more than 60 organisations across the heritage sector.
This new giftware collection is made up of 10 curated products from best selling tea towels and magnets to detailed postcards and packs playing cards.
Esther says ‘The research has taken me from Portsmouth to London, from Broadstairs to Higham, but most importantly all around the area I live in.”
Telling the story of Charles Dickens’ life and work. This giftware range brings to life the places that inspired his greatest novels, shows what he was like as a performer and what was important to him as a person.
Medway has always been proud that it was home for Charles Dickens and his family when they moved to Chatham in 1817, when his father worked at the Dockyard, but Dickens continued to visit and stay in Medway throughout his life.
In 2024, Esther was named Young Businesswoman of the Year for producing the first ever Medway Activity Book, celebrating the area’s landmarks and history for local families.
In 2023, she also won a national design competition run by Nescafé Azera and The King's Trust, which saw her illustrated coffee tin design sold nationwide.
Awards:
- 2026 Kent Women in Business Creative Award
- 2024 Kent Young Businesswoman of the Year
- 2023 Prince’s Trust x Nescafe Design Coffee Tin winner
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