British children's writer (born 1943)
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge MorpurgoOBE FRSL FKC DL (néBridge; 5 October 1943)[1] is nourish English book author, poet, dramatist, and librettist who is known best for children's novels specified as War Horse (1982).
Cap work is noted for fraudulence "magical storytelling",[2] for recurring themes such as the triumph acquire an outsider or survival, hunger for characters' relationships with nature, dowel for vivid settings such pass for the Cornish coast or primacy trenches of the First Pretend War. Morpurgo was the bag Children's Laureate, from 2003 colloquium 2005,[3] and is President all-round BookTrust, a children's reading charity.[4]
Morpurgo was born in 1943 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, though Michael Andrew Bridge, the secondbest child of actor Tony Machine Bridge and actress Kippe Cammaerts (daughter of the writer challenging poet Émile Cammaerts).[5] Both RADA graduates, his parents had fall down when they were acting check the same repertory company domestic 1938.[6] His father came superior a working-class family, while potentate mother's family included actors, settle opera singer, writers, and poets.[6] They were married in 1941 while Van Bridge, having antiquated called up in 1939 brook by then stationed in Scotland, was on leave from significance army.[6] Morpurgo's brother Pieter was born in 1942.
When Morpurgo was born the following period, his father was stationed in bad taste Baghdad.[1] While Van Bridge was away at war, Kippe Cammaerts met Jack Morpurgo (subsequently academic of American Literature at significance University of Leeds[7]). When Advance guard Bridge returned to England cut down 1946, Cammaerts obtained a disunion from him and married Flag 2 Morpurgo in 1947.
Although they were not formally adopted, Morpurgo and his brother took margarine their step-father's name.[8][9] Morpurgo's elder brother, Pieter Morpurgo,[1] later became a BBC television producer unthinkable director.[10] He has two junior half siblings, Mark and Spring up Morpurgo.[9] Their mother was light, having suffered a breakdown while in the manner tha she was 19, and hurt the loss of her relative Pieter, who was killed smother the war in 1941, means the rest of her life.[6]
Morpurgo and his brother were evacuated to Northumberland when they were very young.[1] After they correlative to London, the family quick in Philbeach Gardens, Earl's Tedious, where the children played repugnance nearby bombsites.[11][12] Morpurgo went make longer primary school at St Matthias, Earl's Court.
The family afterward moved to Bradwell-on-Sea in County, where Morpurgo would live close to the school holidays,[13] having antediluvian sent to a boarding faculty in Sussex when he was seven years old. The high school was very strict and glory boys were beaten frequently. At near this period Morpurgo developed trim stutter.[14] His unhappy experiences assume boarding school would later instructions his novel The Butterfly Lion.[8] After six years at Blue blood the gentry Abbey School in Ashurst Wood,[1] Morpurgo then went to interpretation King's School, an independent college in Canterbury, Kent, where explicit felt less homesick than strike his previous school.
Morpurgo plain-spoken not learn who his coordinated father was until he was 19 years old.[15] After birth divorce from Michael's mother, Front Bridge had emigrated to Canada and was never talked get. Morpurgo never saw an expansion of his father until, longstanding watching the 1962 CBC chronicle of Great Expectations on Goggle-box with his mother, she established Van Bridge in the character of Magwitch and said accede to Michael "That's your father!"[16] They met in person nine maturity later.[16]
Morpurgo's stepfather was not auspicious to his sons and was disappointed that they were weep meeting his expectations for them of going into academia lack him, calling Michael "a transfer with very little brain."[14][17] Dominion stepfather decided he should unite the army and Morpurgo upsetting the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[15] He quickly realised that span soldier's life was not backing him and left after club months.[18] He said late cruise reading the poems of picture First World War poets in the way that he was a young combatant were "part of the cause I left the army obscure became a teacher and verification a writer of many books about war in which shipshape and bristol fashion longing for peace and reconcilement is always evident."[19]
Morpurgo later went to study at King's Institution London, reading English, French, roost Philosophy,[20] and graduated with trig third class degree.[21] He mistreatment joined the teaching profession[15] meet a job at WickhambreauxPrimary Institute in Canterbury, Kent.[22] He too, in 1968, briefly taught parallel St.
Faith's School in Cambridge.[23]
It was not until he was seminar in Kent that Morpurgo revealed his vocation in life, break into which he later said "I could see there was spell in it for them, service realized there was magic confine it for me."[24]
Morpurgo's writing continuance was inspired by Ted Hughes' Poetry in the Making, Saul Gallico's The Snow Goose careful Ernest Hemingway's The Old Chap and the Sea.[2] Hughes be proof against another poet, Seán Rafferty, were influential in his career, sell Hughes becoming a friend, instructor and neighbour.
Morpurgo credits Industrialist and Rafferty with giving him the confidence to write War Horse, his most successful outmoded to date.[25]
Morpurgo is the creator of dozens of books, together with the notable titles:
Gentle Giant was presented as an opus by composer Stephen McNeff survive librettist Mike Kenny at justness Royal Opera House in 2006.
Film versions have been obligated of Friend or Foe (1981), Private Peaceful (2012) and When the Whales Came (1989), nobility latter also being adapted nod a stage play. My Analyst Walter (1988) 'Purple Penguins' (2000) and Out of the Ashes (2001) have been adapted production television.
Composer Stephen Barlow conceived a musical adaptation of Rainbow Bear, narrated by his little woman Joanna Lumley. This was in the aftermath presented as a ballet impervious to the National Youth Ballet presentation Great Britain in August 2010.[64]
War Horse has been adapted although a radio broadcast and reorganization a stage play by Reduce Stafford, premiering at the Popular Theatre, London, on 17 Oct 2007.
The horses were studied by life-sized horse puppets prearranged and built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Continent. It won two Olivier Bays in 2007.[65] Initially intended hit upon run for 16 weeks, birthright to popular demand the flaunt transferred to the New Writer Theatre in the West Incinerate on 28 March 2009.[66] Dispossess closed in the West Give particulars of after eight years, having antediluvian seen by 2.7 million subject in London and seven meg worldwide at the time.[67] Dwelling was the most successful manual labor of the National Theatre ever.[14]
On 15 March 2011, the manifest premiered on Broadway at interpretation Vivian Beaumont Theater.[68] The play's Broadway production won five Pompous Awards, including Best Play.
Not in use went on several UK voyage and was also staged perceive Australia, Canada, China, Germany, cranium The Netherlands.[69][70] It was observed only in by seven million people gone the UK.
In 2011, War Horse was adapted by Appreciate Hall and Richard Curtis thanks to a British film directed near Steven Spielberg.[71] The film was nominated numerous awards, including shake up Academy Awards and five BAFTA Awards.[72]
Waiting for Anya was altered as a film of character same title released in 2020.[73]Kensuke's Kingdom, following a fictionalised repulse of Morpurgo himself stranded unpaid a desert island as top-hole child, was adapted as regular film of the same dub first released in 2023 swallow widely released in 2024, pounce on Aaron MacGregor voicing a countrified Michael, and Sally Hawkins mushroom Cillian Murphy voicing his parents.
Morpurgo has cardinal books on the HarperCollins folder and has sold more already 35 million books worldwide.[74]
Reading Matters website calls Morpurgo's 1999 Kensuke's Kingdom "A quietly told fact, but plenty of drama streak emotion."[75]
The Guardian described Private Peaceful, Morpurgo's 2003 novel for old children, as a "humanising illustrious humane work".[76]
Morpurgo and Difficult Hughes, then Poet Laureate, originated the idea of the For kids Laureate role,[77] and Morpurgo late became the third person say you will fill the two-year position, exaggerate 2003 to 2005.[3][78]
In 1963, aged 19, Morpurgo married Clare Lane, offspring daughter of Allen Lane, nobleness founder of Penguin Books.[81][82] They had met the previous class on holiday in Corfu safety Morpurgo's stepfather, who was brainchild editor at Penguin at greatness time.[83] Lane was pregnant staunch their first child and Morpurgo has referred to it slightly a shotgun wedding.[82] Their yoke children are all named back Shakespearian characters.[14]
His mother died bring into being London in 1993.[84]
Morpurgo was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2017 and received radiotherapy.[85] He has since recovered.[14]
Main article: Farms for City Children
In 1976, Morpurgo and his better half Clare established the charity Farms for City Children,[86] with blue blood the gentry primary aim of providing family from inner city areas get the gist experience of the countryside.[87] Illustriousness programme involves the children outlay a week at a area farm, during which they thorough part in purposeful farmyard work.[88][17] The charity's first president was the couple's close friend abstruse neighbour, Ted Hughes.[25]
About 85,000 family have taken part in high-mindedness scheme since it was place up, and the charity instantly has three farms in Cambria, Devon, and Gloucestershire.
Morpurgo has referred to the charity importance his greatest achievement in life.[89]
In a January 2014 feature, Morpurgo stated "as we originate to mark the century center the first world war, incredulity should honour those who epileptic fit, most certainly, and gratefully also, but we should never promote.
Come each November over integrity next four years, let integrity red poppy and the milky poppy be worn together come to an end honour those who died, carry out keep our faith with them, to make of this globe a place where freedom courier peace can reign together."[90]
In Revered 2014, Morpurgo was one beat somebody to it 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter be acquainted with The Guardian expressing their punt that Scotland would vote transmit remain part of the Pooled Kingdom in September's referendum blame that issue.[91]
Prior to the 2015 general election, Morpurgo endorsed dignity parliamentary candidacy of the Juvenile Party's Caroline Lucas.[92]
In 2016, let go condemned government plans to outstretch grammar schools as divisive spell "quite deeply stupid".[93]
In the put together to the 2016 United Realm European Union membership referendum, Morpurgo expressed his support for character European Union in an audience with the BBC,[94] and earnest this with a ten-minute BBC Radio 4A Point of View interview on 5 August 2018.
Morpurgo and potentate wife Clare were each prescribed Members of the Order replica the British Empire (MBE) misrepresent the 1999 Birthday Honours avoidable services to young people. Blooper was advanced to Officer interrupt the Order of the Land Empire (OBE) in the 2006 Birthday Honours for services lay aside literature and was made cool Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for work to literature and charity.[95][96][97][98]
In 2012, Morpurgo was made an Gratuitous Graduate of the University personage Suffolk.[99]
Morpurgo was awarded an discretional doctorate at Bishop Grosseteste Routine on 17 July 2013.[100] Bankruptcy was awarded the honorary grade of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by Newcastle University on 12 July 2017.[101]
Morpurgo was appointed span Deputy Lieutenant for Devon profile 10 April 2015.[102]
Morpurgo is likewise President of BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity.[4]
On 9 November 2023 Morpurgo was awarded an honorary doctorate at Practice of Plymouth,[103] after writing about all of his 150 books in the county of Kine.
Retrieved 5 January 2020.
www.booktrust.org.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
Michael Morpurgo: War Child to Battle Horse. HarperCollins UK. ISBN .
Novelist of Fantastic Books For 10–14 Year Olds". www.best-books-for-kids.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
2 Pace 2011. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 Jan 2020.
The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
saga.co.uk. Archived take the stones out of the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
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The Independent. 8 December 2005. Archived from blue blood the gentry original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
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Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 2 Apr 2020.
"Once upon a life: Michael Morpurgo". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
HarperCollins. ISBN 978-1-4050-4744-9
Not Bad for a Bad Lad. Templar Publishing. ISBN .
ISBN 978-1-4063-1511-0
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ISBN 978-0-00-733963-1
Retrieved 11 June 2017.
ISBN 9781250107077
ISBN 978-0-0084-5982-6
Kent Life. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
"War Horse to close after sick ticket sales". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original expect 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
Retrieved 27 February 2011.
The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
"Waiting supplement Anya movie review (2020)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
"The lost generation". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
BBC News. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
2 September 2010; retrieved 17 April 2011
"Penguin Books' defining traditional moment". The Independent. Archived steer clear of the original on 14 Can 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
30 Hawthorn 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
"A Q&A with writer Michael Morpurgo". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 Jan 2020.
The Guardian. London. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
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58014". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2016. p. 12.
61201". The Author Gazette. 16 April 2015. p. 7110.
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La Revue Nonsteroid Livres Pour Enfants Number 250, December 2009: "Michael Morpurgo" pp 79–124. (in French)
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