John Cunliffe (author)
 |
John Cunliffe | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Arthur Cunliffe 16 June 1933[1][2] Colne, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation | Author, presenter |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Notable works | Postman Pat (1981–2008) Rosie and Jim (1990–2000) |
| Spouse | Sylvia Thompson |
| Children | 1 son |
John Arthur Cunliffe (born 16 June 1933[1][2] in Colne, Lancashire) is an English children's book author and presenter who created the characters of Postman Pat and Rosie and Jim.[3][4][5]
Life and career
John Arthur Cunliffe lived in Kendal, Westmorland for six years, and it was the small towns and villages of that area which would provide the inspiration for his most famous character, Postman Pat. Greendale, where Postman Pat is set, is based on the valley of Longsleddale, near Kendal. After the success of the TV series, which he wrote as the result of a commission from the BBC, (produced by Ivor Wood) which debuted in 1981, Cunliffe became something of a local celebrity, even having a room dedicated to him at Kendal's Museum of Lakeland Life.
Cunliffe has always had an interest in reading, stating that when he was a child he enjoyed the novels of writers such as H. Rider Haggard, Sax Rohmer, Norman Hunter's Professor Branestawm stories and W. E. Johns's Biggles books. Indeed, Cunliffe worked for many years as a librarian, and also as a teacher.
Cunliffe's other well-known creation, Rosie and Jim, was also written for television in the 1990s. He scripted and presented the first 50 episodes, then turned some of them into books. Cunliffe intended to create a series more under his control, after being disappointed by some of the merchandising and tie-in books for Postman Pat, over which he did not have control.[5]
In 2010 he released "Ghosts", a children's story for the iPad, through the Ashley Bolser Agency in Leeds.
He has written many other books for children.
In late 2017, John starred in a YouTube documentary about his life and career.[6]
References
- ^ a b "My favourite Postman Pat stories / written by John/Cunliffe, John, 1933– – Full Catalogue Listing". Amlib Library Management System. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
- ^ a b "Felled by its beauty". Sunday Sun. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
- ^ "Postman Pat's creator looks back at its conception". BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ "Postman Pat's creator John Cunliffe has been at a school in Kendal". ITV. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ a b Davies, Nick. "The Selling of Postman Pat". nickdavies.net. The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ^ John Cunliffe: the Documentary. YouTube. 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
External links
- John Cunliffe at IMDb
- Postman Pat Home Page – Information about the popular children's TV show
