Jill Murphy
Jill Murphy (born 5 July 1949) is a London-born English children's author, best known for The Worst Witch series and the Large Family picture books. She has been described as "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land".[1]
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[edit] Biography
Murphy showed an interest in writing and drawing at the age of 6, and despite not excelling in other school subjects, had made her own enormous library of hand-written and illustrated books while still at primary school. She attended the Ursuline High School, Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration for Miss Cackle's Academy in The Worst Witch series. She grew up a Roman Catholic, but is no longer practising. Her stay-at-home mother was a "book maniac" and her father was an Irish engineer.[2]
She started to write The Worst Witch while still at school, but put the book on hold while she attended Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools. She continued to write it during a year living in a village in Togo, West Africa and later while working as a nanny back in the UK. The book was published when Jill was 24 and proved an instant success. Jill continued working as a nanny until the publication of The Worst Witch Strikes Again prompted her to devote herself to writing full-time.[3]
She gave birth to her son Charlie in spring 1990.
In 1986, a television movie with the same title as her fantasy novel premiered on HBO. It later aired on The Disney Channel during the 1990s around the time of Halloween.
The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 3 million copies. They were also made into a successful ITV series, airing on CITV between 1998 and 2001.
She is also known for her picture books, in particular the popular Large Family picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family. The "Large Family" is now a TV series on CBeebies and ABC Kids. In 1996 The Last Noo-Noo was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.[4]
In 2007, Jill received an honorary fellowship from University College Falmouth.[5]
[edit] Awards
| Year | Book | Award | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Peace at Last | Kate Greenaway Medal | Commended |
| 1986 | Five Minutes' Peace | Children's Book Award | Shortlisted |
| 1987 | Five Minutes' Peace | Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award | Winner |
| 1987 | All In One Piece | Kate Greenaway Medal | Highly Commended |
| 1987 | All In One Piece | Children's Book Award | Shortlisted |
| 1994 | A Quiet Night In | Kate Greenaway Medal | Shortlisted |
| 1995 | The Last Noo-Noo | Smarties Book Prize (0-5 category) | Winner |
| 1995 | The Last Noo-Noo | English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year | Shortlisted |
| 1996 | The Last Noo-Noo | Sheffield Children's Book Award | Winner |
| 1996 | The Last Noo-Noo | Gateshead Gold Award | Winner |
[edit] Bibliography
- 1. The Worst Witch (1974)
- 2. The Worst Witch Strikes Again (1980)
- 3. A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch (1982)
- 4. The Worst Witch All at Sea (1993)
- 5. The Worst Witch Saves the Day (2005)
- 6. The Worst Witch to the Rescue (2007)
The Large Family (Picture Books)
- Five Minutes' Peace (1986)
- All in One Piece (1987)
- A Piece of Cake (1989)
- A Quiet Night in (1993)
- Mr. Large in Charge (2005)
- Laura Bakes a Cake (2008)
- Luke Tidies Up (2008)
- Lester Learns a Lesson (2008)
- Lucy Meets Mr Chilly (2008)
- Grandpa In Trouble (2009)
- Sebastian's Sleepover (2009)
Non- Series Works (Picture Books)
- My Teddy (1973)
- Peace at Last (1980)
- On the Way Home (1982)
- Whatever Next! (1983)
- What Next, Baby Bear! (1984)
- The Christmas Babies (1992)
- The Last Noo-noo (1995)
- All Aboard (1996)
- All for One (2002)
Non- Series Works (Novels)
- Geoffrey Strangeways (1985)
- Worlds Apart (1988)
- Jeffrey Strangeways (1992)
[edit] References
- ^ Kate Kellaway, reviewing The Worst Witch Saves the Day, 2005-10-30. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ *Craig, A (2005-10-16). "Parenting: The longest goodbye". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article578865.ece. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ^ Images of Delight illustrator profile. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ "Jill Murphy". Biography. Images of Delight. http://www.imagesofdelight.com/gallery14.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-17.[dead link]
- ^ "Postgraduate Awards Day". 2007 news archive. Combined Universities in Cornwall. 2007. http://www.cuc.ac.uk/news/2007-news-archive/postgraduate-awards-day.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
[edit] External links
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