fbpx
Wikipedia

Michael Morpurgo

April 12, 2024

Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo OBE FRSL FKC DL (né Bridge; 5 October 1943)[1] is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as War Horse (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelling",[2] for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival, for characters' relationships with nature, and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or World War I. Morpurgo became the third Children's Laureate, from 2003 to 2005,[3] and he is also the current President of BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity.[4]

Sir

Michael Morpurgo

OBE FRSL FKC DL
Morpurgo in 2009
BornMichael Andrew Bridge
(1943-10-05) 5 October 1943 (age 80)
St Albans, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Occupation
  • Author
  • poet
  • playwright
Alma materKing's College London
Notable worksWar Horse, Why the Whales Came, Private Peaceful
Spouse
​
(m. 1963)​
Children3
ParentsTony Van Bridge (father)
Kippe Cammaerts (mother)
Website
michaelmorpurgo.com

Early life edit

Morpurgo was born in 1943 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, as Michael Andrew Bridge, the second child of actor Tony Van Bridge and actress Kippe Cammaerts (born Catherine Noel Kippe Cammaerts, daughter of writer and poet Émile Cammaerts).[5] Both RADA graduates, his parents had met when they were acting in the same repertory company in 1938.[6] His father came from a working-class family, while Kippe came from a family of actors, an opera singer, writers and poets.[6] They were married in 1941 while Van Bridge, having been called up in 1939 and by then stationed in Scotland, was on leave from the army.[6] Morpurgo's brother Pieter was born in 1942. When Morpurgo was born the following year, his father was stationed in Baghdad.[1] While Van Bridge was away at war, Kippe Cammaerts met Jack Morpurgo (subsequently professor of American Literature at the University of Leeds from 1969 to 1982[7]). When Van Bridge returned to England in 1946, he and Cammaerts obtained a divorce and Cammaerts married Jack Morpurgo the same year. Although they were not formally adopted, Morpurgo and his brother took on their step-father's name.[8][9] Morpurgo's older brother, Pieter Morpurgo,[1] later became a BBC television producer and director.[10] He has two younger siblings, Mark and Kay.[9] Morpurgo's mother was frail, having suffered a breakdown when she was 19, and grieved the loss of her brother Pieter, who was killed in the war in 1941, for the rest of her life.[6]

Morpurgo and his brother were evacuated to Northumberland when they were very young.[1] After returning to London, the family lived in Philbeach Gardens, Earl's Court, where the children played on nearby bombsites.[11][12] Morpurgo went to primary school at St Matthias, Earl's Court. The family later moved to Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex, where Morpurgo would live during the school holidays,[13] having been sent to boarding school in Sussex when he was seven years old. The school was very strict and the boys were beaten frequently. During this period Morpurgo developed a stutter.[14] His unhappy experiences at boarding school would later inform his novel The Butterfly Lion.[8] After six years at The Abbey School in Ashurst Wood,[1] Morpurgo then went to the King's School, an independent school in Canterbury, Kent, where he felt less homesick than at his previous school.

Morpurgo did not learn who his biological father was until he was 19 years old.[15] After the divorce from Michael's mother, Van Bridge had emigrated to Canada and was never talked about. Morpurgo never saw an image of his father until, while watching the 1962 CBC version of Great Expectations on TV with his mother, she recognised Van Bridge in the role of Magwitch and said to Michael "That's your father!"[16] They met in person nine years later.[16]

Morpurgo's stepfather was not encouraging to his sons and was disappointed that they were not meeting his expectations for them of going into academia like him, calling Michael "a bear with very little brain."[14][17] His stepfather decided he should join the army and Morpurgo attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[15] He quickly realised that a soldier's life was not for him and left after nine months.[18] He said late that reading the poems of the First World War poets when he was a young soldier were "part of the reason I left the army and became a teacher and then a writer of many books about war in which a longing for peace and reconciliation is always evident."[19]

Morpurgo later went to study at King's College London, reading English, French, and Philosophy,[20] and graduated with a third class degree.[21] He then joined the teaching profession[15] with a job at Wickhambreaux Primary School in Canterbury, Kent.[22] He also, in 1968, briefly taught at St. Faith's School in Cambridge.[23]

Career edit

From teaching to writing novels edit

It was not until he was teaching in Kent that Morpurgo discovered his vocation in life, of which he later said "I could see there was magic in it for them, and realized there was magic in it for me."[24]

Morpurgo's writing career was inspired by Ted Hughes' Poetry in the Making, Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose and Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.[2] Hughes and another poet, Seán Rafferty, were influential in his career, with Hughes becoming a friend, mentor and neighbour. Morpurgo credits Hughes and Rafferty with giving him the confidence to write War Horse, his most successful work to date.[25]

Works edit

Morpurgo is the author of dozens of books, including the notable titles:

Adaptations edit

Gentle Giant was presented as an opera by composer Stephen McNeff and librettist Mike Kenny at the Royal Opera House in 2006. Film versions have been made of Friend or Foe (1981), Private Peaceful (2012) and When the Whales Came (1989), the latter also being adapted to a stage play. My Friend Walter (1988) 'Purple Penguins' (2000) and Out of the Ashes (2001) have been adapted for television.

Composer Stephen Barlow created a musical adaptation of Rainbow Bear, narrated by his wife Joanna Lumley. This was subsequently presented as a ballet by the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain in August 2010.[63]

War Horse has been adapted as a radio broadcast and as a stage play by Nick Stafford, premiering at the National Theatre, London, on 17 October 2007. The horses were played by life-sized horse puppets designed and built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa. It won two Olivier Awards in 2007.[64] Initially intended to run for 16 weeks, due to popular demand the show transferred to the New London Theatre in the West End on 28 March 2009.[65] It closed in the West End after eight years, having been seen by 2.7 million people in London and seven million worldwide at the time.[66] It was the most successful production of the National Theatre ever.[14]

On 15 March 2011, the show premiered on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.[67] The play's Broadway production won five Tony Awards, including Best Play. It went on several UK tours and was also staged in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, and The Netherlands.[68][69] It was seen by seven million people outside the UK.

In 2011, War Horse was adapted by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis as a British film directed by Steven Spielberg.[70] The film was nominated numerous awards, including six Academy Awards and five BAFTA Awards.[71]

Waiting for Anya was adapted as a film of the same title released in 2020.[72]

Reception and influence edit

Morpurgo has 30 books on the HarperCollins list and has sold more than 35 million books worldwide.[73]

Reading Matters website calls Morpurgo's 1999 Kensuke's Kingdom "A quietly told story, but plenty of drama and emotion."[74]

The Guardian describes Private Peaceful, his 2003 novel for older children, as a "humanising and humane work".[75]

Children's Laureate edit

Morpurgo and Hughes, then Poet Laureate, originated the idea of Children's Laureate role.[76] Morpurgo became the third person to fill the two-year position, from 2003 to 2005.[3][77]

Literary awards and prizes edit

Shortlisted
Awarded

Personal life edit

Aged 19, Morpurgo married Clare Lane, eldest daughter of Sir Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books, in 1963.[80][81] They had met the previous year on holiday in Corfu through Morpurgo's stepfather, who was an editor at Penguin at the time.[82] Lane was pregnant with their first child and Morpurgo has referred to it as a shotgun wedding.[81] Their three children are all named after Shakespearian characters.[14]

Morpurgo was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2017 and received radiotherapy.[83] He has since recovered.[14]

Farms for City Children edit

Main article: Farms for City Children

In 1976, Morpurgo and his wife Clare established the charity Farms for City Children,[84] with the primary aim of providing children from inner city areas with experience of the countryside.[85] The programme involves the children spending a week at a countryside farm, during which they take part in purposeful farmyard work.[86][17] The charity's first president was the couple's close friend and neighbour, Ted Hughes.[25]

About 85,000 children have taken part in the scheme since it was set up, and the charity now has three farms in Wales, Devon, and Gloucestershire. Morpurgo has referred to the charity as his greatest achievement in life.[87]

Political views edit

In a January 2014 article, Morpurgo stated "as we begin to mark the century of the first world war, we should honour those who died, most certainly, and gratefully too, but we should never glorify. Come each November over the next four years, let the red poppy and the white poppy be worn together to honour those who died, to keep our faith with them, to make of this world a place where freedom and peace can reign together."[88]

In August 2014, Morpurgo was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.[89]

Prior to the 2015 general election, he was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.[90]

In 2016, he condemned government plans to extend grammar schools as divisive and "quite deeply stupid".[91]

In the run-up to the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, Morpurgo expressed his support for the European Union in an interview with the BBC,[92] and reinforced this with a ten-minute BBC Radio 4 'Point of View' on 5 August 2018.

Honors and appointments edit

Morpurgo and his wife Clare were each appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1999 Birthday Honours for services to young people. He was advanced to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2006 Birthday Honours for services to literature and was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to literature and charity.[93][94][95][96]

In 2012, Morpurgo was made an Honorary Graduate of the University of Suffolk.

Morpurgo was awarded an honorary doctorate at Bishop Grosseteste University on 17 July 2013.[97] He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by Newcastle University on 12 July 2017.[98]

Morpurgo was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Devon on 10 April 2015.[99]

Morpurgo is also President of BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity. [4]

On 9 November 2023 Morpurpogo was awarded an honorary doctorate at University of Plymouth,[100] after writing almost all of his 150 books in the county of Devon.

Radio and television broadcasts edit

Biographies edit

  • Carey, Joanna (1999). Interview with Michael Morpurgo. ISBN 978-0-7497-3866-2
  • Fergusson, Maggie (2012). Michael Morpurgo: War Child to War Horse. ISBN 9780007387267.
  • Fox, Geoff (2004). Dear Mr Morpingo: Inside the World of Michael Morpurgo. ISBN 978-1-84046-607-2
  • McCarthy, Shaun (2005). Michael Morpurgo. ISBN 978-0-431-17995-7

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Much ado about... me". www.michaelmorpurgo.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Michael Morpurgo," The Guardian (US). 22 July 2008, retrieved 17 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Michael Morpurgo". Children's Laureate (childrenslaureate.org.uk). Booktrust. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Our President | BookTrust". www.booktrust.org.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  5. ^ "The author Michael Morpurgo; Jean Webb". Michaelmorpurgo.org. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Fergusson, Maggie (2012). Michael Morpurgo: War Child to War Horse. HarperCollins UK. ISBN 9780007387298.
  7. ^ The Daily Telegraph, Obituary, Published 16 October 2000
  8. ^ a b "Michael Morpurgo on His Novels". Five Books. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Michael Morpurgo. Author of Fantastic Books For 10–14 Year Olds". www.best-books-for-kids.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Guildford Astronomical Society – Pieter Morpurgo". www.guildfordas.org. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Michael Morpurgo answers your questions". The Guardian. 2 March 2011. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  12. ^ Morpurgo, Michael (21 February 2016). "May the horse be with you". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  13. ^ Morpurgo, Michael (6 October 2018). "Michael Morpurgo on Bradwell-on-Sea: 'The exhilaration of infinite beauty'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d e "BBC Radio 4 – Profile, Michael Morpurgo". BBC. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "How a horse changed my life". saga.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  16. ^ a b Lawson, Mark (12 March 2009). "Mark Lawson talks to the writer of War Horse Michael Morpurgo about abandoning the army, his absent father – and making his acting debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  17. ^ a b Gapper, John (9 March 2018). "'War Horse' writer Michael Morpurgo on Brexit and the art of grief". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  18. ^ "My First Job: Michael Morpurgo, recent Children's Laureate, recalls". The Independent. 8 December 2005. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  19. ^ Morpurgo, Michael (18 November 2022). "Michael Morpurgo: 'The war poets were the reason I left the army and became a writer': The books of my life". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Michael Morpurgo". War Horse. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  21. ^ "Richard Dimbleby Lecture", BBC One. 15 February 2011, retrieved 17 April 2011.
  22. ^ "Michael Morpurgo knighted". Kent Online. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  23. ^ . Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  24. ^ Morpurgo, Michael (2010). "An Interview with Michael Morpurgo". War Horse. Scholastic Inc. p. 167. ISBN 9780545311854.
  25. ^ a b Morpurgo, Michael (10 July 2010). "Once upon a life: Michael Morpurgo". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  26. ^ Kellaway, Kate (24 March 2002). "Sword's lore". The Observer. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  27. ^ London: Walker Books. ISBN 978-0-7445-8646-6
  28. ^ London: Orchard Books. ISBN 978-1-84362-271-0
  29. ^ War: Stories of Conflict (2005). HarperCollins. ISBN 978-1-4050-4744-9
  30. ^ Newberry, Linda. "Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo," The Guardian (UK). 7 November 2009, 17 April 2011.
  31. ^ "The Kites Are Flying!" 7 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine Walker Books, retrieved 17 April 2011.
  32. ^ Michael Morpurgo (May 2010). Not Bad for a Bad Lad. Templar Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84877-308-0.
  33. ^ HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-787563-4
  34. ^ Michael Morpurgo (2010). Shadow. HarperCollins Publishers Limited. ISBN 978-0-00-733960-0.
  35. ^ HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-733966-2
  36. ^ Walker Books. ISBN 978-1-4063-1511-0
  37. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-746595-8
  38. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-746592-7
  39. ^ London: Walker Books. ISBN 978-1-4063-3202-5
  40. ^ London: Templar Publishing. ISBN 9781848775442
  41. ^ a b c London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-748751-6
  42. ^ Edinburgh: Barrington Stoke. ISBN 978-1-7811-2287-7
  43. ^ London: Egmont. ISBN 978-1-4052-6896-7
  44. ^ Edinburgh: Barrington Stoke. ISBN 978-1-78112-348-5
  45. ^ London: Walker Books. ISBN 978-1-4063-5133-0
  46. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-733963-1
  47. ^ Edinburgh: Barrington Stoke. ISBN 978-1-78112-352-2
  48. ^ London: Walker Books. ISBN 978-1-4063-6457-6
  49. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-796026-2
  50. ^ "An Eagle in the Snow by Michael Morpurgo – Paperback | HarperCollins". HarperCollins UK. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  51. ^ Oxford: OUP. ISBN 978-0-19-276403-4
  52. ^ London: Walker Books. ISBN 978-1 4063-7168-0
  53. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00 813459-4
  54. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-813463-1
  55. ^ London: Egmont. ISBN 978-1-4052-8526-1
  56. ^ New York: Feiwel Friends. ISBN 9781250107077
  57. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-1-4052-9497-3
  58. ^ London: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-5290-6331-8
  59. ^ London: Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-2414-5450-3
  60. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-0083-5218-9
  61. ^ London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-0084-5982-6
  62. ^ London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-50-065294-7
  63. ^ "Making of a ballet". Kent Life. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  64. ^ "The National Theatre's War Horse: Facts And Figures". www.londontheatredirect.com. 5 August 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  65. ^ "'War Horse' Opens In The West End 3/28/09" broadwayworld.com, 8 December 2008
  66. ^ Singh, Anita (18 May 2016). "War Horse to close after ailing ticket sales". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  67. ^ Hetrick, Adam (20 December 2010). . Playbill. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  68. ^ Oliveros, Oliver. "WAR HORSE Gallops into Hong Kong—The Only Asian Stop in Its First International Tour". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  69. ^ Trueman, Matt (11 March 2016). "'War Horse' Closes in Britain, but Its Influence Gallops On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  70. ^ Child, Ben (18 June 2010). "Steven Spielberg unveils cast for War Horse adaptation". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  71. ^ War Horse – IMDb, retrieved 5 January 2020
  72. ^ Minow, Nell (7 February 2020). "Waiting for Anya movie review (2020)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  73. ^ "HarperCollins Childrens signs multi-book deal with Michael Morpurgo". The Bookseller. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  74. ^ "Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo: book review". Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  75. ^ Samuels, Diane (18 October 2003). "The lost generation". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  76. ^ UK Children's Laureate, about the award
  77. ^ Lyall, Sarah. "Undaunted Author of ‘War Horse’ Reflects on Unlikely Hit". The New York Times. 11 April 2011; retrieved 17 April 2011.
  78. ^ a b c d "Michael Morpurgo wins Children's Book Award for fourth time". BBC News. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  79. ^
  80. ^ "Penguin, Puffin and the Paperback Revolution". BBC Four. 2 September 2010; retrieved 17 April 2011
  81. ^ a b Singh, Anita (2 June 2012). "Michael Morpurgo plans to make up for shotgun wedding". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  82. ^ Smallman, Etan (7 October 2015). "Penguin Books' defining cultural moment". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  83. ^ "War Horse author reveals cancer battle". 30 May 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  84. ^ "Farms for City Children, registered charity no. 325120". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  85. ^ AdventureBox Books Interview on Farms for Children on YouTube
  86. ^ Farms for City Children webpage, farms4citychildren.co.uk; accessed 14 October 2015.
  87. ^ Lacey, Hester (31 March 2017). "A Q&A with writer Michael Morpurgo". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  88. ^ First world war centenary is a year to honour the dead but not to glorify The Guardian, 1 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  89. ^ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories | Politics". theguardian.com. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  90. ^ Elgot, Jessica (24 April 2015). "Celebrities sign statement of support for Caroline Lucas – but not the Greens". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  91. ^ "Grammar school plans are divisive and stupid, says Michael Morpurgo". Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  92. ^ "Michael Morpurgo: 'History tells me what I need to know about Europe'". BBC News. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  93. ^ "No. 55513". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1999. p. 20.
  94. ^ "No. 58014". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2016. p. 12.
  95. ^ "No. 62150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2017. p. N2.
  96. ^ "Honours for Gibb, Starr and Bussell". 30 December 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  97. ^ http://www.bishopg.ac.uk/war-horse-author-to-receive-bgu-honour/ [dead link]
  98. ^ "Achievements of leading figures celebrated with honorary degrees".
  99. ^ "No. 61201". The London Gazette. 16 April 2015. p. 7110.
  100. ^ "War Horse author and charity founder awarded honorary doctorate". University of Plymouth. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  101. ^ BBC/OU Open2.net – The Invention of Childhood – Meet the presenter. Open2.net (21 August 2006). Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  102. ^ "Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo OBE calls for recognition of children's rights in BBC One's Richard Dimbleby Lecture". Press Office. BBC. Retrieved 15 February 2011.

Further reading edit

  • Morpurgo, Michael et al. La Revue Des Livres Pour Enfants Number 250, December 2009: "Michael Morpurgo" pp 79–124. (in French)
  • Franks, Alan (22 September 2007). "Courses for horses". The Times. Retrieved 23 September 2007.

External links edit

Cultural offices
Preceded by Children's Laureate of the United Kingdom
2003–2005 		Succeeded by

April 12, 2024
michael, morpurgo, michael, andrew, bridge, morpurgo, frsl, bridge, october, 1943, english, book, author, poet, playwright, librettist, known, best, children, novels, such, horse, 1982, work, noted, magical, storytelling, recurring, themes, such, triumph, outs. Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo OBE FRSL FKC DL ne Bridge 5 October 1943 1 is an English book author poet playwright and librettist who is known best for children s novels such as War Horse 1982 His work is noted for its magical storytelling 2 for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival for characters relationships with nature and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or World War I Morpurgo became the third Children s Laureate from 2003 to 2005 3 and he is also the current President of BookTrust the UK s largest children s reading charity 4 SirMichael MorpurgoOBE FRSL FKC DLMorpurgo in 2009BornMichael Andrew Bridge 1943 10 05 5 October 1943 age 80 St Albans Hertfordshire United KingdomOccupationAuthorpoetplaywrightAlma materKing s College LondonNotable worksWar Horse Why the Whales Came Private PeacefulSpouseClare Lane m 1963 wbr Children3ParentsTony Van Bridge father Kippe Cammaerts mother Websitemichaelmorpurgo wbr com Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 From teaching to writing novels 2 2 Works 2 3 Adaptations 2 4 Reception and influence 2 5 Children s Laureate 2 6 Literary awards and prizes 3 Personal life 4 Farms for City Children 5 Political views 6 Honors and appointments 7 Radio and television broadcasts 8 Biographies 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksEarly life editMorpurgo was born in 1943 in St Albans Hertfordshire as Michael Andrew Bridge the second child of actor Tony Van Bridge and actress Kippe Cammaerts born Catherine Noel Kippe Cammaerts daughter of writer and poet Emile Cammaerts 5 Both RADA graduates his parents had met when they were acting in the same repertory company in 1938 6 His father came from a working class family while Kippe came from a family of actors an opera singer writers and poets 6 They were married in 1941 while Van Bridge having been called up in 1939 and by then stationed in Scotland was on leave from the army 6 Morpurgo s brother Pieter was born in 1942 When Morpurgo was born the following year his father was stationed in Baghdad 1 While Van Bridge was away at war Kippe Cammaerts met Jack Morpurgo subsequently professor of American Literature at the University of Leeds from 1969 to 1982 7 When Van Bridge returned to England in 1946 he and Cammaerts obtained a divorce and Cammaerts married Jack Morpurgo the same year Although they were not formally adopted Morpurgo and his brother took on their step father s name 8 9 Morpurgo s older brother Pieter Morpurgo 1 later became a BBC television producer and director 10 He has two younger siblings Mark and Kay 9 Morpurgo s mother was frail having suffered a breakdown when she was 19 and grieved the loss of her brother Pieter who was killed in the war in 1941 for the rest of her life 6 Morpurgo and his brother were evacuated to Northumberland when they were very young 1 After returning to London the family lived in Philbeach Gardens Earl s Court where the children played on nearby bombsites 11 12 Morpurgo went to primary school at St Matthias Earl s Court The family later moved to Bradwell on Sea in Essex where Morpurgo would live during the school holidays 13 having been sent to boarding school in Sussex when he was seven years old The school was very strict and the boys were beaten frequently During this period Morpurgo developed a stutter 14 His unhappy experiences at boarding school would later inform his novel The Butterfly Lion 8 After six years at The Abbey School in Ashurst Wood 1 Morpurgo then went to the King s School an independent school in Canterbury Kent where he felt less homesick than at his previous school Morpurgo did not learn who his biological father was until he was 19 years old 15 After the divorce from Michael s mother Van Bridge had emigrated to Canada and was never talked about Morpurgo never saw an image of his father until while watching the 1962 CBC version of Great Expectations on TV with his mother she recognised Van Bridge in the role of Magwitch and said to Michael That s your father 16 They met in person nine years later 16 Morpurgo s stepfather was not encouraging to his sons and was disappointed that they were not meeting his expectations for them of going into academia like him calling Michael a bear with very little brain 14 17 His stepfather decided he should join the army and Morpurgo attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 15 He quickly realised that a soldier s life was not for him and left after nine months 18 He said late that reading the poems of the First World War poets when he was a young soldier were part of the reason I left the army and became a teacher and then a writer of many books about war in which a longing for peace and reconciliation is always evident 19 Morpurgo later went to study at King s College London reading English French and Philosophy 20 and graduated with a third class degree 21 He then joined the teaching profession 15 with a job at Wickhambreaux Primary School in Canterbury Kent 22 He also in 1968 briefly taught at St Faith s School in Cambridge 23 Career editFrom teaching to writing novels edit It was not until he was teaching in Kent that Morpurgo discovered his vocation in life of which he later said I could see there was magic in it for them and realized there was magic in it for me 24 Morpurgo s writing career was inspired by Ted Hughes Poetry in the Making Paul Gallico s The Snow Goose and Ernest Hemingway s The Old Man and the Sea 2 Hughes and another poet Sean Rafferty were influential in his career with Hughes becoming a friend mentor and neighbour Morpurgo credits Hughes and Rafferty with giving him the confidence to write War Horse his most successful work to date 25 Works edit Morpurgo is the author of dozens of books including the notable titles All Around the Year with Ted Hughes 1979 The Nine Lives of Montezuma 1980 War Horse 1982 Little Foxes 1984 Why the Whales Came 1985 King of The Cloud Forests 1987 Mossop s Last Chance with Shoo Rayner 1988 Waiting for Anya 1990 The Wreck of the Zanzibar 1995 The Butterfly Lion 1996 Farm Boy 1999 Kensuke s Kingdom 1999 Billy the Kid 2000 Sleeping Sword 2002 26 Private Peaceful 2003 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 2004 27 The Orchard Book of Aesop s Fables 2004 illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark 28 War Stories of Conflict compiler 2005 29 Alone on a Wide Wide Sea 2006 Beowulf 2006 illustrated by Michael Foreman Running Wild 2009 30 The Kites Are Flying 2009 31 Not Bad for a Bad Lad 2010 32 An Elephant in the Garden 2010 33 Shadow 2010 34 Little Manfred 2011 35 The Pied Piper of Hamelin 2011 36 Sparrow The True Story of Joan of Arc 2012 37 Outlaw The Story of Robin Hood 2012 38 Homecoming 2012 39 Where My Wellies Take Me with Clare Morpurgo 2012 40 A Medal For Leroy 2012 41 Beauty and the Beast 2013 41 The Castle in the Field Little Gems 2013 42 Pinocchio By Pinocchio 2013 41 The Goose is Getting Fat 2013 43 All I Said Was 2014 44 Half a Man 2014 45 Listen to the Moon 2014 46 Mini Kid 2014 47 Such Stuff A Story Maker s Inspiration 2016 48 The Fox and the Ghost King The Timeless Tale of an Impossible Dream 2016 49 An Eagle in the Snow 2016 50 Greatest Magical Stories 2017 51 Lucky Button 2017 52 Toto The Dog gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz 2017 53 Flamingo Boy 2018 54 In The Mouth of the Wolf 2018 55 The Day the World Stopped Turning 2019 56 Grandpa Christmas 2020 57 A Song of Gladness 2021 58 The Puffin Keeper 2021 59 When Fishes Flew The Story of Elena s War 2021 60 Carnival of the Animals 2021 61 Flying Scotsman and the Best Birthday Ever 2022 62 Adaptations edit Gentle Giant was presented as an opera by composer Stephen McNeff and librettist Mike Kenny at the Royal Opera House in 2006 Film versions have been made of Friend or Foe 1981 Private Peaceful 2012 and When the Whales Came 1989 the latter also being adapted to a stage play My Friend Walter 1988 Purple Penguins 2000 and Out of the Ashes 2001 have been adapted for television Composer Stephen Barlow created a musical adaptation of Rainbow Bear narrated by his wife Joanna Lumley This was subsequently presented as a ballet by the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain in August 2010 63 War Horse has been adapted as a radio broadcast and as a stage play by Nick Stafford premiering at the National Theatre London on 17 October 2007 The horses were played by life sized horse puppets designed and built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa It won two Olivier Awards in 2007 64 Initially intended to run for 16 weeks due to popular demand the show transferred to the New London Theatre in the West End on 28 March 2009 65 It closed in the West End after eight years having been seen by 2 7 million people in London and seven million worldwide at the time 66 It was the most successful production of the National Theatre ever 14 On 15 March 2011 the show premiered on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theater 67 The play s Broadway production won five Tony Awards including Best Play It went on several UK tours and was also staged in Australia Canada China Germany and The Netherlands 68 69 It was seen by seven million people outside the UK In 2011 War Horse was adapted by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis as a British film directed by Steven Spielberg 70 The film was nominated numerous awards including six Academy Awards and five BAFTA Awards 71 Waiting for Anya was adapted as a film of the same title released in 2020 72 Reception and influence edit Morpurgo has 30 books on the HarperCollins list and has sold more than 35 million books worldwide 73 Reading Matters website calls Morpurgo s 1999 Kensuke s Kingdom A quietly told story but plenty of drama and emotion 74 The Guardian describes Private Peaceful his 2003 novel for older children as a humanising and humane work 75 Children s Laureate edit Morpurgo and Hughes then Poet Laureate originated the idea of Children s Laureate role 76 Morpurgo became the third person to fill the two year position from 2003 to 2005 3 77 Literary awards and prizes edit Shortlisted1991 Carnegie Medal Waiting for Anya 1995 Carnegie Medal Arthur High King of Britain 1996 Carnegie Medal The Wreck of the Zanzibar 2002 W H Smith Award for Children s Literature Out of the Ashes 2003 Blue Peter Book Award The Book I Couldn t Put Down Cool 2003 Carnegie Medal Private Peaceful 2004 Whitbread Children s Book Award Private Peaceful 2012 Bippo award for books 2010 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis German youth literature prize Warten auf Anya Waiting for Anya 2014 Costa Children s Book Award Listen to the MoonAwarded1993 Prix Sorcieres France King of the Cloud Forests 1995 Whitbread Children s Book Award The Wreck of the Zanzibar 1996 Nestle Smarties Book Prize Gold Award The Butterfly Lion 1999 Prix Sorcieres France Wombat Goes Walkabout 2000 Red House Children s Book Award Kensuke s Kingdom 78 2001 Prix Sorcieres France Kensuke s Kingdom 2002 Nestle Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award The Last Wolf 2004 Red House Children s Book Award Private Peaceful 78 2005 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award Private Peaceful 2005 Hampshire Book Award Private Peaceful 2008 California Young Reader Medal Private Peaceful 79 2011 Red House Children s Book Award Shadow 78 2017 Red House Children s Book Award An Eagle in the Snow 78 2021 Chen Bochui Children s Literature Award China best authorPersonal life editAged 19 Morpurgo married Clare Lane eldest daughter of Sir Allen Lane the founder of Penguin Books in 1963 80 81 They had met the previous year on holiday in Corfu through Morpurgo s stepfather who was an editor at Penguin at the time 82 Lane was pregnant with their first child and Morpurgo has referred to it as a shotgun wedding 81 Their three children are all named after Shakespearian characters 14 Morpurgo was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2017 and received radiotherapy 83 He has since recovered 14 Farms for City Children editMain article Farms for City Children In 1976 Morpurgo and his wife Clare established the charity Farms for City Children 84 with the primary aim of providing children from inner city areas with experience of the countryside 85 The programme involves the children spending a week at a countryside farm during which they take part in purposeful farmyard work 86 17 The charity s first president was the couple s close friend and neighbour Ted Hughes 25 About 85 000 children have taken part in the scheme since it was set up and the charity now has three farms in Wales Devon and Gloucestershire Morpurgo has referred to the charity as his greatest achievement in life 87 Political views editIn a January 2014 article Morpurgo stated as we begin to mark the century of the first world war we should honour those who died most certainly and gratefully too but we should never glorify Come each November over the next four years let the red poppy and the white poppy be worn together to honour those who died to keep our faith with them to make of this world a place where freedom and peace can reign together 88 In August 2014 Morpurgo was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run up to September s referendum on that issue 89 Prior to the 2015 general election he was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party s Caroline Lucas 90 In 2016 he condemned government plans to extend grammar schools as divisive and quite deeply stupid 91 In the run up to the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum Morpurgo expressed his support for the European Union in an interview with the BBC 92 and reinforced this with a ten minute BBC Radio 4 Point of View on 5 August 2018 Honors and appointments editMorpurgo and his wife Clare were each appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire MBE in the 1999 Birthday Honours for services to young people He was advanced to Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE in the 2006 Birthday Honours for services to literature and was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to literature and charity 93 94 95 96 In 2012 Morpurgo was made an Honorary Graduate of the University of Suffolk Morpurgo was awarded an honorary doctorate at Bishop Grosseteste University on 17 July 2013 97 He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters D Litt by Newcastle University on 12 July 2017 98 Morpurgo was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Devon on 10 April 2015 99 Morpurgo is also President of BookTrust the UK s largest children s reading charity 4 On 9 November 2023 Morpurpogo was awarded an honorary doctorate at University of Plymouth 100 after writing almost all of his 150 books in the county of Devon Radio and television broadcasts editThe Invention of Childhood 2006 with Hugh Cunningham BBC Radio 4 101 Set Our Children Free the 2011 Richard Dimbleby Lecture BBC One 15 February 2011 102 Alone on a Wide Wide Sea BBC Radio 2 7 10 August 2017Biographies editCarey Joanna 1999 Interview with Michael Morpurgo ISBN 978 0 7497 3866 2 Fergusson Maggie 2012 Michael Morpurgo War Child to War Horse ISBN 9780007387267 Fox Geoff 2004 Dear Mr Morpingo Inside the World of Michael Morpurgo ISBN 978 1 84046 607 2 McCarthy Shaun 2005 Michael Morpurgo ISBN 978 0 431 17995 7References edit a b c d e Much ado about me www michaelmorpurgo com Retrieved 5 January 2020 a b Michael Morpurgo The Guardian US 22 July 2008 retrieved 17 April 2011 a b Michael Morpurgo Children s Laureate childrenslaureate org uk Booktrust Retrieved 28 September 2013 a b Our President BookTrust www booktrust org uk Retrieved 15 November 2022 The author Michael Morpurgo Jean Webb Michaelmorpurgo org 23 May 2006 Retrieved 6 November 2012 a b c d Fergusson Maggie 2012 Michael Morpurgo War Child to War Horse HarperCollins UK ISBN 9780007387298 The Daily Telegraph Obituary Published 16 October 2000 a b Michael Morpurgo on His Novels Five Books Retrieved 5 January 2020 a b Michael Morpurgo Author of Fantastic Books For 10 14 Year Olds www best books for kids com Retrieved 5 January 2020 Guildford Astronomical Society Pieter Morpurgo www guildfordas org Retrieved 5 January 2020 Michael Morpurgo answers your questions The Guardian 2 March 2011 ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Morpurgo Michael 21 February 2016 May the horse be with you The Sunday Times ISSN 0956 1382 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Morpurgo Michael 6 October 2018 Michael Morpurgo on Bradwell on Sea The exhilaration of infinite beauty The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 5 January 2020 a b c d e BBC Radio 4 Profile Michael Morpurgo BBC Retrieved 5 January 2020 a b c How a horse changed my life saga co uk Archived from the original on 7 July 2013 Retrieved 18 May 2013 a b Lawson Mark 12 March 2009 Mark Lawson talks to the writer of War Horse Michael Morpurgo about abandoning the army his absent father and making his acting debut The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 5 January 2020 a b Gapper John 9 March 2018 War Horse writer Michael Morpurgo on Brexit and the art of grief Financial Times Retrieved 5 January 2020 My First Job Michael Morpurgo recent Children s Laureate recalls The Independent 8 December 2005 Archived from the original on 14 May 2022 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Morpurgo Michael 18 November 2022 Michael Morpurgo The war poets were the reason I left the army and became a writer The books of my life The Guardian Retrieved 5 April 2024 Michael Morpurgo War Horse Retrieved 5 January 2020 Richard Dimbleby Lecture BBC One 15 February 2011 retrieved 17 April 2011 Michael Morpurgo knighted Kent Online 20 March 2018 Retrieved 5 January 2020 St Faith s Headmaster letter of recommendation Archived from the original on 27 August 2018 Retrieved 2 April 2020 Morpurgo Michael 2010 An Interview with Michael Morpurgo War Horse Scholastic Inc p 167 ISBN 9780545311854 a b Morpurgo Michael 10 July 2010 Once upon a life Michael Morpurgo The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Kellaway Kate 24 March 2002 Sword s lore The Observer Retrieved 27 July 2023 London Walker Books ISBN 978 0 7445 8646 6 London Orchard Books ISBN 978 1 84362 271 0 War Stories of Conflict 2005 HarperCollins ISBN 978 1 4050 4744 9 Newberry Linda Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo The Guardian UK 7 November 2009 17 April 2011 The Kites Are Flying Archived 7 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine Walker Books retrieved 17 April 2011 Michael Morpurgo May 2010 Not Bad for a Bad Lad Templar Publishing ISBN 978 1 84877 308 0 HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 787563 4 Michael Morpurgo 2010 Shadow HarperCollins Publishers Limited ISBN 978 0 00 733960 0 HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 733966 2 Walker Books ISBN 978 1 4063 1511 0 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 746595 8 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 746592 7 London Walker Books ISBN 978 1 4063 3202 5 London Templar Publishing ISBN 9781848775442 a b c London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 748751 6 Edinburgh Barrington Stoke ISBN 978 1 7811 2287 7 London Egmont ISBN 978 1 4052 6896 7 Edinburgh Barrington Stoke ISBN 978 1 78112 348 5 London Walker Books ISBN 978 1 4063 5133 0 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 733963 1 Edinburgh Barrington Stoke ISBN 978 1 78112 352 2 London Walker Books ISBN 978 1 4063 6457 6 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 796026 2 An Eagle in the Snow by Michael Morpurgo Paperback HarperCollins HarperCollins UK Retrieved 11 June 2017 Oxford OUP ISBN 978 0 19 276403 4 London Walker Books ISBN 978 1 4063 7168 0 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 813459 4 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 813463 1 London Egmont ISBN 978 1 4052 8526 1 New York Feiwel Friends ISBN 9781250107077 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 1 4052 9497 3 London Pan Macmillan ISBN 978 1 5290 6331 8 London Penguin Random House ISBN 978 0 2414 5450 3 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 0083 5218 9 London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 0084 5982 6 London Thames amp Hudson ISBN 978 0 50 065294 7 Making of a ballet Kent Life 20 July 2010 Retrieved 5 January 2020 The National Theatre s War Horse Facts And Figures www londontheatredirect com 5 August 2013 Retrieved 5 January 2020 War Horse Opens In The West End 3 28 09 broadwayworld com 8 December 2008 Singh Anita 18 May 2016 War Horse to close after ailing ticket sales The Telegraph ISSN 0307 1235 Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Hetrick Adam 20 December 2010 Seth Numrich to Lead War Horse on Broadway 35 Member Cast Announced Playbill Archived from the original on 23 February 2011 Retrieved 27 February 2011 Oliveros Oliver WAR HORSE Gallops into Hong Kong The Only Asian Stop in Its First International Tour BroadwayWorld com Retrieved 5 January 2020 Trueman Matt 11 March 2016 War Horse Closes in Britain but Its Influence Gallops On The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Child Ben 18 June 2010 Steven Spielberg unveils cast for War Horse adaptation The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 5 January 2020 War Horse IMDb retrieved 5 January 2020 Minow Nell 7 February 2020 Waiting for Anya movie review 2020 RogerEbert com Retrieved 13 February 2020 HarperCollins Childrens signs multi book deal with Michael Morpurgo The Bookseller Retrieved 6 February 2023 Kensuke s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo book review Retrieved 28 February 2013 Samuels Diane 18 October 2003 The lost generation The Guardian Retrieved 23 April 2017 UK Children s Laureate about the award Lyall Sarah Undaunted Author of War Horse Reflects on Unlikely Hit The New York Times 11 April 2011 retrieved 17 April 2011 a b c d Michael Morpurgo wins Children s Book Award for fourth time BBC News 11 June 2017 Retrieved 11 June 2017 California Young Reader Medal 2008 Young Adult winner Penguin Puffin and the Paperback Revolution BBC Four 2 September 2010 retrieved 17 April 2011 a b Singh Anita 2 June 2012 Michael Morpurgo plans to make up for shotgun wedding Daily Telegraph ISSN 0307 1235 Archived from the original on 12 January 2022 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Smallman Etan 7 October 2015 Penguin Books defining cultural moment The Independent Archived from the original on 14 May 2022 Retrieved 5 January 2020 War Horse author reveals cancer battle 30 May 2018 Retrieved 5 January 2020 Farms for City Children registered charity no 325120 Charity Commission for England and Wales AdventureBox Books Interview on Farms for Children on YouTube Farms for City Children webpage farms4citychildren co uk accessed 14 October 2015 Lacey Hester 31 March 2017 A Q amp A with writer Michael Morpurgo Financial Times Retrieved 5 January 2020 First world war centenary is a year to honour the dead but not to glorify The Guardian 1 January 2014 Retrieved 17 January 2015 Celebrities open letter to Scotland full text and list of signatories Politics theguardian com 7 August 2014 Retrieved 26 August 2014 Elgot Jessica 24 April 2015 Celebrities sign statement of support for Caroline Lucas but not the Greens The Guardian London Retrieved 22 July 2015 Grammar school plans are divisive and stupid says Michael Morpurgo Retrieved 16 September 2016 Michael Morpurgo History tells me what I need to know about Europe BBC News 29 April 2016 Retrieved 28 August 2017 No 55513 The London Gazette Supplement 12 June 1999 p 20 No 58014 The London Gazette Supplement 17 June 2016 p 12 No 62150 The London Gazette Supplement 30 December 2017 p N2 Honours for Gibb Starr and Bussell 30 December 2017 Retrieved 5 January 2020 http www bishopg ac uk war horse author to receive bgu honour dead link Achievements of leading figures celebrated with honorary degrees No 61201 The London Gazette 16 April 2015 p 7110 War Horse author and charity founder awarded honorary doctorate University of Plymouth 9 November 2023 Retrieved 10 November 2023 BBC OU Open2 net The Invention of Childhood Meet the presenter Open2 net 21 August 2006 Retrieved 6 April 2011 Former Children s Laureate Michael Morpurgo OBE calls for recognition of children s rights in BBC One s Richard Dimbleby Lecture Press Office BBC Retrieved 15 February 2011 Further reading editMorpurgo Michael et al La Revue Des Livres Pour Enfants Number 250 December 2009 Michael Morpurgo pp 79 124 in French Franks Alan 22 September 2007 Courses for horses The Times Retrieved 23 September 2007 External links edit nbsp Children s literature portal nbsp Poetry portalOfficial website Official website old version Michael Morpurgo at publisher Egmont Books Michael Morpurgo at British Council Literature Michael Morpurgo at Library of Congress with 81 library catalogue records The Observer Once upon a life Michael Morpurgo Michael Morpurgo at IMDb Michael Morpurgo at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database nbsp Cultural officesPreceded byAnne Fine Children s Laureate of the United Kingdom2003 2005 Succeeded byJacqueline Wilson Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Morpurgo amp oldid 1217355331, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.