Liz Pichon
Liz Pichon | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 16 August 1963
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | Camberwell School of Art |
Occupation(s) | illustrator and children's writer |
Known for | Tom Gates series |
Spouse | Mark Flannery |
Children | 3 |
Liz Pichon (born 16 August 1963) is a British illustrator and children's writer. She is best known for her Tom Gates series of "satirical realist comedy fiction", which have been translated into 43 languages, and sold more than eight million copies worldwide.
Education
Liz Pichon was born on 16 August 1963 in London, England.[1] She studied graphic design at the Camberwell School of Art in London.[2]
Career
Liz worked as art director in the musical label Jive Records.[2] Afterwards she started working as a freelance illustrator and writer of children's books.[2]
Her best-selling and multi-award winning Tom Gates series first published in 2011. Described as a "satirical realist comedy fiction" they have been translated into 43 languages, and sold more than eight million copies worldwide.[2] There are currently 15 books in the Tom Gates series, as well as a special £1 book produced for World Book Day in 2013, and a Tom Gates Annual.
In 2016 Liz created the "Kid's Tapestry", a child's version of the Bayeux Tapestry featuring historical events to the mark the 950th anniversary of The Battle of Hastings.[3]
In 2017 Liz, Horsenden Primary School and Scholastic Children's Books broke the World Record for the Largest Disco Dance.[4]
It was announced in 2017 that Liz is working on a new standalone series to be published by Scholastic Children's Books. [5]
Personal life
She is dyslexic (like Tom Gates), and lives in Brighton, with her husband Mark, a music lecturer, and their three children.[6][2]
Works
- The VERY Ugly Bug (London: Little Tiger Press, 2004)
- My Big Brother, Boris (Scholastic, 2004)
- Bored Bill (Little Tiger, 2015)
- Penguins (London: Gullane Children's Books, 2008)
- The Three Horrid Pigs and the Big Friendly Wolf (Little Tiger, 2008); US title, The Three Horrid Little Pigs (Tiger Tales, 2008)
- Tom Gates series
As illustrator only (selected), won a 2011 Roald Dahl Funny Prize (7–14 years),[6] a 2012 Red House Children's Book Award (younger readers), and a 2012 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize (ages 5–12). The fourth volume Tom Gates: Genius Ideas (mostly) won a 2013 Blue Peter Book Award (best story).[7]
- Runners-up
- 2004: Silver Award, Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (0–5 years), My Big Brother Boris
- 2008: Finalist, Red House Children's Book Award and the Stockport Schools Book Award, The Three Horrid Pigs and the Big Friendly Wolf
References
- ^ "FAQ's / Liz Pichon". lizpichon.com.
- ^ a b c d e Lambert, Victoria (10 August 2016). "Liz Pichon on how dyslexia inspired her Tom Gates children's books - and made them a global phenomenon". Retrieved 9 December 2017 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "'Kids' Tapestry' by Liz Pichon marks Battle of Hastings anniversary - CBBC Newsround". Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- ^ Horsenden Primary (2017-11-02), Horsenden's Guinness World Record on BBC Breakfast, retrieved 2018-10-12
- ^ "Pichon opens the Gates to standalone fiction in seven-figure deal | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- ^ a b "Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2011". Prizes Archive: Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Booktrust. Retrieved 2014-10-15. With more information linked, including 17 November 2011 interview of Pichon.
- ^ "Blue Peter Books Awards 2013". Prizes: Blue Peter Book Awards. Booktrust. Retrieved 2014-10-15. With more information linked.
External links
- Official website
- Media related to Liz Pichon at Wikimedia Commons
- Blog
- Liz Pichon at Library of Congress, with 27 library catalogue records
- 1963 births
- Writers from London
- British children's book illustrators
- British children's writers
- English women writers
- British women children's writers
- Living people
- 21st-century English writers
- 21st-century British women writers
- Alumni of Camberwell College of Arts
- British illustrator stubs
- British children's writer stubs