Jill Murphy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jill Murphy (born July 5, 1949) is an English children's author, best known for The Worst Witch series and the Mr and Mrs Large picture books. She has been described as "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land"[1].
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[edit] Biography
Jill showed an interest in writing and drawing at the age of 4, and despite not excelling in other school subjects, had written 91 books before her late teens. She attended the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon which, together with the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration for Miss Cackle's Academy in The Worst Witch series. She grew up a Roman Catholic but is no longer a practising Catholic. Her mother was a working class woman but a "book maniac" and her father was an Irish engineer.[2]
She started to write The Worst Witch at the age of 15, but put the book on hold while she attended Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools. She continued to write it during a year living in a village in Togo, West Africa and later while working as a nanny back in the UK. The book was published when Jill was 24 and proved an instant success. Jill continued working as a nanny until the publication of The Worst Witch Strikes Again prompted her to devote herself to writing full-time.[3]
She gave birth to her son Charlie in Spring 1990, having divorced his father while pregnant at the age of 40.[4] Charlie, now 17, is dyslexic. Jill put on weight after the birth of her son, reaching 14st 2lb in 1990, but eventually lost three and a half stone with LighterLife.[5]
In 1995 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a partial mastectomy and a year of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and after five years on Tamoxifen she was given the all-clear. She chooses to wear a padded bra rather than undergo reconstructive surgery.[6]
Jill was extremely close to her Aunt Kit and in 1997 her aunt began to show signs of dementia. Jill looked after her for two years, commuting to Wimbledon from her home in Cornwall to do so, and in 1999 she moved her aunt to a nursing home in Cornwall near Jill's own house, where she died later that year. Six months after Kit's death, Jill's mother began to show signs of dementia, and Jill ended up taking her mother into her own home to care for her for a number of years. In 2003 her mother went into a nursing home where she later died. Jill could not work properly during the ten years she was caring for her aunt and mother, hence the reduction in books published around this time.
The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most outstandingly successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than 3 million copies. They were also made into a successful ITV series.
She is also well known for her picture books, in particular for the very popular Mr and Mrs Large picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family. In 1996 The Last Noo-Noo was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.
In 2007 Jill received an honorary degree from Falmouth University.
[edit] Awards
| Year | Book | Award | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Peace at Last | Kate Greenaway Medal | Commended |
| 1986 | Five Minutes' Peace | Children's Book Award | Shortlisted |
| 1987 | Five Minutes' Peace | Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award | Winner |
| 1987 | All In One Piece | Kate Greenaway Medal | Highly Commended |
| 1987 | All In One Piece | Children's Book Award | Shortlisted |
| 1994 | A Quiet Night In | Kate Greenaway Medal | Shortlisted |
| 1995 | The Last Noo-Noo | Smarties Book Prize (0-5 category) | Winner |
| 1995 | The Last Noo-Noo | English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year | Shortlisted |
| 1996 | The Last Noo-Noo | Sheffield Children's Book Award | Winner |
| 1996 | The Last Noo-Noo | Gateshead Gold Award | Winner |
[edit] Bibliography
- Murphy, J. (1974). The Worst Witch. London: Allison & Busby. ISBN 9780850311426.
- Murphy, J. (1980). The Worst Witch Strikes Again. London: Allison & Busby. ISBN 9780850312515.
- Murphy, J. (1980). Peace At Last. London: Macmillan. ISBN 9780333306420.
- Murphy, J. (1982). A Bad Spell For The Worst Witch. Harmondsworth: Kestrel Books. ISBN 9780722657638.
- Murphy, J. (1982). On The Way Home. London: Macmillan. ISBN 9780333324318.
- Murphy, J. (1983). Whatever Next!. London: Macmillan. ISBN 9780333350058.
- Murphy, J. (1986). Five Minutes' Peace. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744504910.
- Murphy, J. (1987). All In One Piece. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744507492.
- Murphy, J. (1988). Worlds Apart. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744508031.
- Murphy, J. (1989). A Piece Of Cake. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744592740.
- Murphy, J. (1990). Geoffrey Strangeways. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744519044.
- Murphy, J. (1993). A Quiet Night In. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744525663.
- Murphy, J. (1993). The Worst Witch All At Sea. London: Viking. ISBN 9780670832538.
- Murphy, J. (1995). The Last Noo-Noo. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744532289.
- Murphy, J. (2002). All For One. London: Walker. ISBN 9780744549140.
- Murphy, J. (2005). Mr Large in Charge. London: Walker. ISBN 9781844280483.
- Murphy, J. (2005). The Worst Witch Saves the Day. London: Puffin. ISBN 9780141382180.
- Murphy, J. (2007). The Worst Witch To The Rescue. London: Puffin. ISBN 9780141383019.
[edit] References
- ^ Kate Kellaway, reviewing The Worst Witch Saves the Day, 2005-10-30. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ *Craig, A. "Parenting: The longest goodbye", The Times, 2005-10-16. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ Images of Delight illustrator profile. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ *Craig, A. "Parenting: The longest goodbye", The Times, 2005-10-16. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ *Deeley, L. "Back on top after a bad spell", The Times, 2007-10-27. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ *Deeley, L. "Back on top after a bad spell", The Times, 2007-10-27. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
