Our author of the month for December is Julia Donaldson.
JULIA DONALDSON WORKED FOR A FEW YEARS IN PUBLISHING AND AS A TEACHER. SHE WROTE AND PERFORMED SONGS FOR STREET THEATRE WITH HER HUSBAND MALCOLM. SHE THEN COMBINED A CAREER WRITING SONGS FOR CHILDREN’S TELEVISION AND BRINGING UP A FAMILY. JULIA SAID ‘TWO OF MY GREAT PASSIONS ARE FOR DRAMA AND MUSIC. I OFTEN WRITE IN VERSE, AS THE SOUND OF THE WORDS IS AS IMPORTANAT TO ME AS THE SENSE. I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED PERFORMING MY OWN STORIES AND SONGS, AND HAVE OBSERVED HOW MOST CHILDREN ALSO LOVE ACTING AND SINGING WHICH DO WONDERS FOR THEIR SELF-CONFIDENCE’. JULIA HAS HAD OVER 150 OF HER BOOKS PUBLISHED!
JULIA WISHED TO INVOLVE HERSELF MORE IN STORIES FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE DEAF. THIS IS BECAUSE SHE IS PARTLY DEAF HERSELF AND BECAUSE SHE IS REALLY FASCINATED BY SIGN LANGUAGE.
JULIA IS A PATRON OF THE CHARITY ARTLIBK CENTRAL, WHICH ENGAGES ARTISTS TO WORK IN HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS AND PRISONS.
Did you know that before releasing her first book, Julia Donaldson was a singer-songwriter for children’s television. She was inspired to turn her song, A Squash and a Squeeze, into a story book with pictures. She collaborated with illustrator Axel Scheffler, & the tale was published in 1993, six years before ‘The Gruffalo’ was released.
