Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson
Born	16 September 1948 (1948-09-16) London, England
Alma mater	University of Bristol
Occupation	Writer and playwright
Known for	Author of children's books Children's Laureate
Spouse	Malcolm
Children	3 sons
Website
www.juliadonaldson.co.uk

Julia Catherine Donaldson MBE (born 16 September 1948) is an English writer and playwright, best known as author of The Gruffalo and other children's books, many illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Of her 157 published works, 56 are widely available in bookshops. The remaining 101 are intended for school use and include her "Songbirds" phonic reading scheme which is part of the Oxford Reading Tree. Her book The Snail and the Whale was named by Gordon Brown as one of his favourites. She originally wrote songs for children's television, but has concentrated on writing books since one of her songs, A Squash and a Squeeze, was published in 1993. She has also written a number of plays for school drama groups. Donaldson has been appointed Children's Laureate for 2011 to 2013, succeeding Anthony Browne.

Early life

Donaldson was born in 1948 and brought up in Hampstead, London, with her younger sister, Mary. The family occupied a Victorian three-storey house near Hampstead Heath where the siblings liked to play. Her parents, sister, and their pet cat Geoffrey lived on the ground floor, an aunt and uncle lived on the first floor, and her granny lived on the second floor.

Donaldson's father studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford before serving in World War II, being a prisoner of war for five years. He went on to work in the field of genetics at the Maudesley Hospital, producing some important twin studies, and was also a keen amateur cellist. He contracted polio when Julia was six years old and he was initially hospitalised. His attempts to walk with crutches and callipers were unsuccessful, so he had to resort to using a wheelchair. This was at a time when there were not many aids and facilities for the handicapped in public places, but he was able to continue working with help from his wife who assisted with some arduous physical tasks such as transfers between car and wheelchair.

Donaldson studied Drama and French at the University of Bristol, and as part of her course spent several months in Paris, where she went busking with a female friend. The duo were subsequently joined by their friend Malcolm, a medical student who played a left-handed guitar and sang, and who later became Donaldson's spouse.

Personal life

Donaldson's husband is a consultant paediatrician working in Glasgow, Scotland, and the couple reside in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire. Their first child, Hamish, was diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder when he was about 17 years old, having had a psychotic episode. He committed suicide in 2003, aged 25, at a time when he was drinking alcohol heavily. Their second son is a research fellow at Oxford University and their youngest one a student at Dundee University. Her father died of a heart attack at 59.

Donaldson is a patron of ArtLink Central, a charity which helps artists to work with disadvantaged people.

Donaldson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to literature.

Works

• A Squash and a Squeeze (1993, ISBN 1-4050-0477-0) - with Axel Scheffler
• Books and Crooks (Play) (1998, ISBN 978-0748736560)
• The Gruffalo (1999, ISBN 0-333-71093-2)- with Axel Scheffler
• Monkey Puzzle (2000, ISBN 0-333-72001-6)- with Axel Scheffler
• Room on the Broom (2002, ISBN 0-333-90338-2)- with Axel Scheffler
• The Smartest Giant in Town (2002, ISBN 0-333-96396-2)- with Axel Scheffler
• Night Monkey, Day Monkey (2002, ISBN 978-0749748937)
• The Snail and the Whale (2003, ISBN 0-333-98224-X)- with Axel Scheffler
• Hide and Seek Pig (Tales from Acorn Wood) (2003, ISBN 978-0333966259)- with Axel Scheffler
• Postman Bear (Tales from Acorn Wood) (2003, ISBN 978-0333966242)- with Axel Scheffler
• Fox's Socks (Tales from Acorn Wood) (2003, ISBN 978-0333966235)- with Axel Scheffler
• Rabbit's Nap (Tales from Acorn Wood) (2003, ISBN 978-1405217880)- with Axel Scheffler
• The Gruffalo's Child (2004, ISBN 1-4050-2045-8)- with Axel Scheffler
• The Giants and the Joneses (2004, ISBN 0-8050-7805-3)
• The Magic Paintbrush (2004, ISBN 978-0333964439)
• Charlie Cook's Favourite Book (2005, ISBN 978-1405034692)
• Sharing a Shell (2005, ISBN 978-1405020480)- with Axel Scheffler
• The Princess and the Wizard (2006, ISBN 978-1405053136)
• Rosie's Hat (2006, ISBN 978-1405000079 )
• Follow the Swallow (2007, ISBN 978-1405217880)
• Princess mirror-Belle (3 parts)(2005)
• Tiddler (2007, ISBN 978-0439943772)- with Axel Scheffler
• Tyrannosaurus Drip (2007, ISBN 978-1405090001)- with David Roberts
• Stick Man (2009, ISBN 978-1407108827)- with Axel Scheffler
• Tabby McTat (2009, ISBN 978-1407109244)
• The Troll (2009, ISBN 978-0230017931)- with David Roberts
• Zog (2010, ISBN 978-1407115566)
• The Highway Rat (2011, ISBN 978-1407124377)
• Jack and the Flumflum Tree (2011, ISBN 978-0230710238) - with David Roberts

External links

• Julia Donaldson's official website homepage
• Julia Donaldson's author page at Macmillan.com
• Julia Donaldson video interview on Scottish Book Trust website

Cultural offices
Preceded by Anthony Browne	Children's Laureate of the United Kingdom 2011 –2013	Succeeded by Incumbent