Literary Birthday – 5 July – Jill Murphy

Jill Murphy was born on 5 July 1949 and died on 18 August 2021.

Jill Murphy Quotes

1. My earliest memory (my mum tells me I was two), is sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by sheets of drawings.
2. I could always draw my way out of trouble if we had a tricky history project!
3. I still feel more comfortable in the company of children, so it’s natural I should write something about things they appreciate.
4. I wanted to write about girls who were misfits, like I was, with unfashionably long, dark, straggly hair, and a heroine who was as hopeless as I was but for whom it came out all right in the end.
5. I always speak the dialogue aloud to see if it sounds natural.

Jill Murphy was an English writer and illustrator of children’s books, best known for the Worst Witch novels. Her books about the lovable Large family have sold more than ten million copies worldwide and become firm family favourites, enjoyed by children and adults alike. Jill’s work won her numerous prizes and awards; her first picture book, Peace at Last was Commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal and she was shortlisted for the same Medal for A Quiet Night In, the first of the Mr and Mrs Large picture books about the endearing domestic chaos of an elephant family. The other titles are A Piece of Cake, Five Minutes Peace (Winner of the Best Books for Babies Award and shortlisted for the Children’s Book Award), All in One Piece (Highly Commended for the Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the Children’s Book Award) and Mr Large in Charge. The Last Noo-noo, about a small monster called Marion, won three awards, including the Smarties Book Prize, and Marion returns again in the acclaimed All For One. Her books were also adapted for stage and television.

Source for image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jill_Murphy_uk_author.png

by Amanda Patterson
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