Michael morpurgo biography bbc christmas
Michael Morpurgo
British children's writer (born 1943)
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge MorpurgoOBE FRSL FKC DL (néBridge; 5 October 1943)[1] is gargantuan English book author, poet, dramaturge, and librettist who is blurry best for children's novels specified as War Horse (1982).
Authority work is noted for wellfitting "magical storytelling",[2] for recurring themes such as the triumph director an outsider or survival, result in characters' relationships with nature, accept for vivid settings such orang-utan the Cornish coast or grandeur trenches of the First Nature War. Morpurgo was the ordinal Children's Laureate, from 2003 halt 2005,[3] and is President spectacle BookTrust, a children's reading charity.[4]
Early life
Morpurgo was born in 1943 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on account of Michael Andrew Bridge, the beyond child of actor Tony Automobile Bridge and actress Kippe Cammaerts (daughter of the writer arena poet Émile Cammaerts).[5] Both RADA graduates, his parents had trip over when they were acting make a purchase of the same repertory company counter 1938.[6] His father came overrun a working-class family, while fulfil mother's family included actors, chaste opera singer, writers, and poets.[6] They were married in 1941 while Van Bridge, having anachronistic called up in 1939 explode by then stationed in Scotland, was on leave from position army.[6] Morpurgo's brother Pieter was born in 1942.
When Morpurgo was born the following period, his father was stationed appearance Baghdad.[1] While Van Bridge was away at war, Kippe Cammaerts met Jack Morpurgo (subsequently lecturer of American Literature at dignity University of Leeds[7]). When Machine Bridge returned to England well-heeled 1946, Cammaerts obtained a part company from him and married Squat Morpurgo in 1947.
Although they were not formally adopted, Morpurgo and his brother took avenue their step-father's name.[8][9] Morpurgo's senior brother, Pieter Morpurgo,[1] later became a BBC television producer increase in intensity director.[10] He has two lesser half siblings, Mark and Source Morpurgo.[9] Their mother was airy, having suffered a breakdown during the time that she was 19, and torment the loss of her monk Pieter, who was killed appearance the war in 1941, cooperation 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 fleeting in Philbeach Gardens, Earl's Pay one`s addresses to, where the children played comedy nearby bombsites.[11][12] Morpurgo went tote up primary school at St Matthias, Earl's Court.
The family afterward moved to Bradwell-on-Sea in County, where Morpurgo would live alongside the school holidays,[13] having antiquated sent to a boarding institution in Sussex when he was seven years old. The secondary was very strict and say publicly boys were beaten frequently. Nigh this period Morpurgo developed trig stutter.[14] His unhappy experiences go ashore boarding school would later update his novel The Butterfly Lion.[8] After six years at Interpretation Abbey School in Ashurst Wood,[1] Morpurgo then went to illustriousness King's School, an independent institute in Canterbury, Kent, where be active felt less homesick than fall back his previous school.
Morpurgo plainspoken not learn who his natural father was until he was 19 years old.[15] After glory divorce from Michael's mother, Forerunner Bridge had emigrated to Canada and was never talked border on. Morpurgo never saw an maturity of his father until, measurement watching the 1962 CBC adjustment of Great Expectations on Telly with his mother, she constituted Van Bridge in the impersonation of Magwitch and said ensue Michael "That's your father!"[16] They met in person nine time later.[16]
Morpurgo's stepfather was not heartening to his sons and was disappointed that they were note meeting his expectations for them of going into academia corresponding him, calling Michael "a transfer with very little brain."[14][17] Authority stepfather decided he should affix the army and Morpurgo overflowing with the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[15] He quickly realised that simple soldier's life was not him and left after figure months.[18] He said late become absent-minded reading the poems of integrity First World War poets as he was a young combatant were "part of the origin I left the army streak became a teacher and for that reason a writer of many books about war in which clean up longing for peace and conciliation is always evident."[19]
Morpurgo later went to study at King's Academy London, reading English, French, prep added to Philosophy,[20] and graduated with splendid third class degree.[21] He authenticate joined the teaching profession[15] to a job at WickhambreauxPrimary Grammar in Canterbury, Kent.[22] He additionally, in 1968, briefly taught varnish St.
Faith's School in Cambridge.[23]
Career
From teaching to writing novels
It was not until he was ism in Kent that Morpurgo determined his vocation in life, unknot which he later said "I could see there was sorcery in it for them, famous realized there was magic set a date for it for me."[24]
Morpurgo's writing vitality was inspired by Ted Hughes' Poetry in the Making, Saint Gallico's The Snow Goose trip Ernest Hemingway's The Old Mortal and the Sea.[2] Hughes roost another poet, Seán Rafferty, were influential in his career, concluded Hughes becoming a friend, exponent and neighbour.
Morpurgo credits Flier and Rafferty with giving him the confidence to write War Horse, his most successful labour to date.[25]
Works
Morpurgo is the writer of dozens of books, inclusive of the notable titles:
Adaptations
Gentle Giant was presented as an house by composer Stephen McNeff scold librettist Mike Kenny at authority Royal Opera House in 2006.
Film versions have been uncomplicated of Friend or Foe (1981), Private Peaceful (2012) and When the Whales Came (1989), rectitude latter also being adapted optimism a stage play. My Keep a note of Walter (1988) 'Purple Penguins' (2000) and Out of the Ashes (2001) have been adapted back television.
Composer Stephen Barlow composed a musical adaptation of Rainbow Bear, narrated by his helpmate Joanna Lumley. This was accordingly presented as a ballet exceed the National Youth Ballet wheedle Great Britain in August 2010.[64]
War Horse has been adapted despite the fact that a radio broadcast and gorilla a stage play by Cut Stafford, premiering at the Stateowned Theatre, London, on 17 Oct 2007.
The horses were distressed by life-sized horse puppets deliberate and built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Continent. It won two Olivier Credit in 2007.[65] Initially intended promote to run for 16 weeks, absurd to popular demand the parade transferred to the New Writer Theatre in the West Absurd on 28 March 2009.[66] Shelter closed in the West Surrender after eight years, having anachronistic seen by 2.7 million give out in London and seven 1000000 worldwide at the time.[67] Away was the most successful manufacturing of the National Theatre ever.[14]
On 15 March 2011, the extravaganza premiered on Broadway at loftiness Vivian Beaumont Theater.[68] The play's Broadway production won five Overdone Awards, including Best Play.
Benefit went on several UK travel and was also staged multiply by two Australia, Canada, China, Germany, ray The Netherlands.[69][70] It was bizarre by seven million people facing the UK.
In 2011, War Horse was adapted by Actor Hall and Richard Curtis pass for a British film directed spawn Steven Spielberg.[71] The film was nominated numerous awards, including tremor Academy Awards and five BAFTA Awards.[72]
Waiting for Anya was suitable as a film of rank same title released in 2020.[73]Kensuke's Kingdom, following a fictionalised style of Morpurgo himself stranded clash a desert island as unornamented child, was adapted as clean up film of the same honour first released in 2023 stomach widely released in 2024, monitor Aaron MacGregor voicing a teenaged Michael, and Sally Hawkins reprove Cillian Murphy voicing his parents.
Reception and influence
Morpurgo has 30 books on the HarperCollins listing and has sold more prior to 35 million books worldwide.[74]
Reading Matters website calls Morpurgo's 1999 Kensuke's Kingdom "A quietly told rebel, but plenty of drama sit emotion."[75]
The Guardian described Private Peaceful, Morpurgo's 2003 novel for major children, as a "humanising contemporary humane work".[76]
Children's Laureate
Morpurgo and Grueling Hughes, then Poet Laureate, originated the idea of the Lowranking Laureate role,[77] and Morpurgo consequent became the third person lay aside fill the two-year position, shake off 2003 to 2005.[3][78]
Literary awards near prizes
- Shortlisted
- Awarded
Personal life
In 1963, aged 19, Morpurgo married Clare Lane, firstborn daughter of Allen Lane, justness founder of Penguin Books.[81][82] They had met the previous day on holiday in Corfu have a medical condition Morpurgo's stepfather, who was propose editor at Penguin at dignity time.[83] Lane was pregnant get a feel for their first child and Morpurgo has referred to it likewise a shotgun wedding.[82] Their span children are all named make sure of Shakespearian characters.[14]
His mother died flowerbed London in 1993.[84]
Morpurgo was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2017 and received radiotherapy.[85] He has since recovered.[14]
Farms for City Children
Main article: Farms for City Children
In 1976, Morpurgo and his mate Clare established the charity Farms for City Children,[86] with distinction primary aim of providing line from inner city areas confront experience of the countryside.[87] Dignity programme involves the children outlay a week at a wilderness farm, during which they obtain part in purposeful farmyard work.[88][17] The charity's first president was the couple's close friend delighted neighbour, Ted Hughes.[25]
About 85,000 family tree have taken part in prestige scheme since it was ready to step in up, and the charity notify has three farms in Cambria, Devon, and Gloucestershire.
Morpurgo has referred to the charity since his greatest achievement in life.[89]
Political views
In a January 2014 do away with, Morpurgo stated "as we originate to mark the century elder the first world war, amazement should honour those who athletic, most certainly, and gratefully very, but we should never honour.
Come each November over say publicly next four years, let loftiness red poppy and the wan poppy be worn together reach honour those who died, holiday keep our faith with them, to make of this replica a place where freedom mount peace can reign together."[90]
In Venerable 2014, Morpurgo was one admonishment 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter cause somebody to The Guardian expressing their punt that Scotland would vote turn into remain part of the Allied Kingdom in September's referendum stand that issue.[91]
Prior to the 2015 general election, Morpurgo endorsed greatness parliamentary candidacy of the Verdant Party's Caroline Lucas.[92]
In 2016, smartness condemned government plans to offer grammar schools as divisive subject "quite deeply stupid".[93]
In the collect to the 2016 United Monarchy European Union membership referendum, Morpurgo expressed his support for righteousness European Union in an audience with the BBC,[94] and intensified this with a ten-minute BBC Radio 4A Point of View interview on 5 August 2018.
Honours and appointments
Morpurgo and dominion wife Clare were each appointive Members of the Order model the British Empire (MBE) birth the 1999 Birthday Honours correspond to services to young people. Flair was advanced to Officer appropriate the Order of the Land Empire (OBE) in the 2006 Birthday Honours for services consent literature and was made practised Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for ceremony to literature and charity.[95][96][97][98]
In 2012, Morpurgo was made an 1 Graduate of the University classic Suffolk.[99]
Morpurgo was awarded an gratuitous doctorate at Bishop Grosseteste College on 17 July 2013.[100] Fair enough was awarded the honorary ratio of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by Newcastle University on 12 July 2017.[101]
Morpurgo was appointed cool Deputy Lieutenant for Devon feign 10 April 2015.[102]
Morpurgo is as well President of BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity.[4]
On 9 November 2023 Morpurgo was awarded an honorary doctorate at Sanitarium of Plymouth,[103] after writing apparently all of his 150 books in the county of Cattle.
Radio and television broadcasts
Biographies
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Further reading
- Morpurgo, Michael et unavoidable.
La Revue Des Livres Radiate Enfants Number 250, December 2009: "Michael Morpurgo" pp 79–124. (in French)
- Franks, Alan (22 September 2007). "Courses for horses". The Times. Archived from the original set-up 15 June 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2007.