How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time

She published her first book in her 40s and became the biggest selling author of the past decade in any genre – The Gruffalo alone has sold 13m copies. How did this former busker make it so big?The room where the children’s author Julia Donaldson writes – the heart of her vast picture book empire – is down a winding staircase, in the cellar of her grand white house in Steyning, West Sussex. Her desk looks out on the street at knee height. “I’m thinking of writing a book about legs,” Donaldson said, as she showed me around the house this summer. Children from the nearby school often wave in at her as they pass. Donaldson is well known in Steyning, due to her frequent signings at the local bookshop. She and her husband, Malcolm, a retired paediatrician, recently bought the local post office to save it from closure. But elsewhere she can walk the pavement without being recognised. “I got a letter the other day for Jacqueline Wilson,” Donaldson told me. “It said: ‘You’re my favourite author!’”If you are not someone who spends much time with young children, you may only be dimly aware of Donaldson’s work – although you will probably be familiar with her most famous creation, the Gruffalo. If you have children, however, you will know her as a cultural juggernaut whose influence among children is perhaps only surpassed by the works of Disney and CBeebies. Donaldson, who is 72, has written more than 210 books: chiefly picture books, but also poetry, plays, a 60-part phonics... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-12-17 06:00:31 UTC ]
News tagged with: #local bookshop #jacqueline wilson #favourite author #famous creation #picture book

Other news stories related to: "How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time"


Jim Hoagland, Distinguished Journalist on World Affairs, Dies at 84

A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he was a reporter, editor and columnist for The Washington Post, renowned for his deeply sourced dispatches. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-11-07 19:26:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #pulitzer prize


‘You don’t want to waste time on climate change’: TV weather’s big problem with the environmental crisis

Lack of time, difficulties with scientific rigour, an uninterested public … television meteorologists open up about why they’re so quiet about the reasons for extreme conditionsWhy do TV and radio forecasts rarely contextualise extreme weather events in terms of the climate crisis? After all,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-10-25 14:00:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #forthcoming book #history professor #climate crisis #big problem #climate change


It’s time Australia called in the big guns on the social media firms. Our democracy is at risk | Belinda Barnet

Meta has made it very clear to Australians that they do not value our journalism or our public interest mediaThe joint select committee on social media and Australian society tabled their interim report on Monday, recommending that the government explore alternative revenue mechanisms to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-10-22 04:53:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #digital media #media outlets #big guns


Postcard Bookshop Offers a Literary World Tour

In the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland, Ore., Patrick Leonard has opened Postcard Bookshop, a store featuring global literature and culture, children’s titles, and sidelines including journals and games for people on the move. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #bookshop #literary world


‘We leave viewers smarter’: fears over plans to close ‘world’s most highbrow’ TV station

Unique experiment in German-language public broadcasting 3sat faces pressure from populist rightIn many countries around the world, breakfast TV means cele­brity interviews, soap operas and last night’s football highlights. On the German-language channel 3sat this Sunday morning, it means a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-10-19 11:43:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book review #public broadcasters #sunday morning


Bob the Drag Queen has written the world’s first Harriet Tubman hip-hop novel.

Bob the Drag Queen has written a book, y’all. And this is not the standard tell-all memoir announcement now standard practice for the cross-over artist with a brand to build. Luckily for the world, the Drag Race winning superstar has written a novel. And one that looks to be, um, delightfully... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-10-18 17:27:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #standard practice


Super Nintendo World Orlando opens next May

The Super Nintendo World theme park in Orlando is nearly ready for visitors. Universal Orlando Resort just announced that the Mario-friendly attraction will open its doors on May 22, 2025. That gives you over six months to find the perfect Goomba costume to wear on opening day. This is the third... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-10-17 16:45:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #harry potter #ll make #opening day


The unfinished business of 2 World Trade Center

Silverstein Properties' redevelopment of the World Trade Center site has been by and large a success story. Yes, the Lower Manhattan office market is struggling in the wake of the pandemic, but in the past two decades the developer has still managed to transform a desolate location of almost... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2024-10-17 09:48:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #recent book #published book


Finding Freedom One Breath at a Time: PW Talks with Jasmine Marie

PW talks with the author of ‘Black Girls Breathing’ about how mindful breathing and other practices can help heal chronic stress and generational trauma. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #generational trauma #mindful breathing #jasmine marie #finding freedom


Finding Freedom One Breath at a Time: PW Talks with Jasmine Marie

PW talks with the author of ‘Black Girls Breathing’ about how mindful breathing and other practices can help heal chronic stress and generational trauma. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #generational trauma #mindful breathing #jasmine marie #finding freedom


Jeff Koons just uploaded his entire catalog of art to the internet for the first time

Working with Squarespace, the famous artist designed a new template to showcase his artwork. And you can use it, too. For the first time ever, Jeff Koons’ entire catalog is on a website. The newly revamped jeffkoons.com presents over four decades of Koons’ artwork in a comprehensive digital... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2024-10-09 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing company #significant milestone #entire catalog


'Joker: Folie à Deux' Might Be the Worst Comic Book Adaptation of All Time

The sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga has proven to be both a critical disappointment and a box office one. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2024-10-07 16:43:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #comic book #box office #lady gaga


UK: Bitter Lemon Press Buys World English Rights to Zayed Winner

The 2023 Sheikh Zayed Book Award Young Author prize winner's world English rights have been bought by the UK's Bitter Lemon Press. The post UK: Bitter Lemon Press Buys World English Rights to Zayed Winner appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-10-04 23:33:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #zayed book #post uk


The Black List Upended the Film Industry. The Book World Is Next

“I was loath to jump into it,” Black List founder Franklin Leonard says of expanding into publishing. “It’s not a great look to be like, ‘I'm from Hollywood and I'm here to save you.’” Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2024-10-04 15:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book world #film industry


‘From Italy to the World’: Torino’s Translation Conference at Frankfurt

Torino's international book fair presents its fourth annual conference for translators at the Frankfurt Book Fair, featuring Italian books. The post ‘From Italy to the World’: Torino’s Translation Conference at Frankfurt appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-10-04 02:07:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #international book #frankfurt appeared


Blizzard is trying to make a StarCraft shooter again (for the third time)

Blizzard is diving into the StarCraft shooter well once again, after two previous titles were canceled. This information comes from a forthcoming book about the developer by games journalist Jason Schreier and was discussed during a recent IGN podcast. This time around, veteran developer Dan Hay... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-09-27 15:39:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #forthcoming book #ve heard #creative director #previous titles #spent years


Our 15 Most-Read Posts Of All Time

Fifteen years ago, Electric Literature started as a print and digital quarterly journal during the glory days of the print magazine era. Our very first issue surpassed 10,000 copies in sales, we were stocked in newsstands and bookstores, and as an e-book. We were one of the first to publish... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-09-27 11:10:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #literary fiction #electric literature #time appeared


The art of negotiating AI deals, according to Time COO Mark Howard

Time's chief operating officer took the stage at the Digiday Publishing Summit to share how he evaluates deals with AI companies. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2024-09-27 04:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing summit #ai companies


Frankfurt Book Fair 2024: Where the World Comes Together

The 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair will feature one of the most expansive and diverse programs yet. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book fair #frankfurt book fair


All the times Sally Rooney was saner than Book Media.

It’s delightful, on the one hand, to have a feverish Book Event. I’m as excited as anyone that we’re doing midnight release parties for literary fiction in the year of our lord 2024. That said, we need to talk about the Rooneyverse. This week, we’re getting a novel—Intermezzo—from Sally Rooney,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-09-23 13:55:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #literary fiction #sally rooney