Author
Jill Barklem
Jill Barklem was drawn to the natural world from childhood. While training as an illustrator at St Martin’s School of Art, her long journeys to college gave her time to escape into the imaginary world of a colony of mice, later to be developed as the enchanting miniature world of Brambly Hedge.
Michael Bond
Michael Bond was born in Newbury, Berkshire on 13 January 1926 and educated at Presentation College, Reading. He served in the Royal Air Force and the British Army before working as a cameraman for BBC TV for 19 years. In 2015, Michael was awarded a CBE for his services to children’s literature, to add to the OBE he received in 1997. Michael died in 2017, leaving behind one of the great literary legacies of our time.
Judith Kerr
Judith Kerr was born in Berlin, but left Germany with her family in 1933 to escape the rising Nazi party. They settled in England, where she later met her husband, the celebrated screenwriter Nigel Kneale, with whom she has two children: she wrote The Tiger Who Came to Tea for them. She followed it with the Mog the Forgetful Cat series and many other celebrated stories, as well as her semi-autobiographical story, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. In 2012, Judithw as awarded an OBE for her services to children’s literature and holocaust education, and in 2019 she was named Illustrator of the Year at the British Book Awards. Judith died in 2019, and her much-loved stories continue to delight children all over the world.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright the world has seen. He produced an astonishing amount of work; 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 5 poems. He died on 23rd April 1616, aged 52, and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Morpurgo OBE FRSL FKC DL is a writer, playwright, performer and librettist. The author of more than 150 children’s books, he has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and in almost 40 languages. A former teacher and vocal spokesperson for the benefits of reading for pleasure, he is currently the President of Book Trust. Between 2003–2005 he was Children’s Laureate and in 2018 he was knighted for services to literature and charity. Many of Michael’s books have been adapted for stage and screen, including the phenomenal National Theatre adaptation of War Horse, which has been seen by over 10 million people in over 100 cities around the world, broke the West End record for weekly ticket sales, and won 5 Tony Awards and 2 Olivier Awards. Michael is also the co-founder, with his wife Clare, of the charity Farms for City Children.
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain’s best loved writers for children. He has written over 100 books and won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Whitbread Award and the Blue Peter Book Award. He was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.