Michael Morpurgo has written over 100 books in the last 40 years. He is one of the world’s most renowned authors, with several of his titles being made into both feature films and plays. Michael supports many charities including Farms

For City Children, a charity that he and his wife founded together.

Michael morpurgoFact Pack

Created by Work Experience Student, Liam Tomblin (15), Arthur Mellows Village College.

Michael Morpurgo was born on the 5th October 1943 in England. He studied English and French at the University of London and graduated with a 3rd class degree. His first job was as a teacher at a primary school in Kent. It was here that he discovered his talent for writing, later saying, “I could see there was magic in it for them, and realised there was magic in it for me.” He married the eldest daughter of Sir Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin books.

His first book, ‘It Never Rained: Five Stories’, was published in 1974 and over 100 books have followed. In 1976 he started the charity, Farms For City Children with his wife Clare. This was set up to introduce city children to the countryside and farmyard work. The charity now has three working farms and works with 3,000 students and 400 teachers a year.

Some of his most famous works include ‘War Horse’, ‘The Sleeping Sword’ and ‘Private Peaceful’. His children’s books include titles such as:

• Meeting Cézanne• Mr. Skip• Homecoming• Black Queen• Cool as a Cucumber!• Wartman

and many, many more!

Most of Michael’s inspiration comes from living in Devon, Mozart and just playing with his children and grandchildren. He spends “half his life mucking out sheds, feeding sheep and cows and the other half dreaming up stories.”

“For me, the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches out – the writing down of it I always find hard. But I love finishing it, then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers.”Michael’s classic way of writing produces magical stories that capture both your imagination and your heart. He became the third Children’s Laureate in 2003, a scheme he had set up with Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes.

Michael Morpurgo Biography

‘Running Wild’ is said to be the book you always wanted to write, why?

Because when I was little my mother used to read to me ‘The Elephant’s Child’ from Kipling’s ‘Just So Stories’, and ‘The Jungle Book’, also by Kipling. I loved these books and all my writing life I’d been trying to look for a way of telling my one elephant story and my own Jungle Book story. But I never found the way to do it, till now – and that’s mostly Kipling’s fault, because his books are so good!

If you were ‘running wild’ what 3 items would you make sure were with you?

A water bottle, a hat and penknife.

With over 100 books published, how do you find inspiration and keep your ideas fresh?

I try to live as interesting a life as possible, to do things I’ve never done before, to go places, meet people, read books, watch films, fill my head and my heart with the world about me. That way, so far, the well of ideas does not run dry.

A lot of your books are based around animals, is there an animal you’d like to write about that you haven’t yet?

It was an elephant! Now I’ll have to think of something else, maybe a giraffe.

Out of all of your books, who is your favourite character and why?

Maybe Kensuke, in ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’. He’s an old man living alone on an island in harmony with the world about him. He’s achieved the kind of wisdom and serenity that I admire greatly.

What is the best moment of your career to date?

The night I went on stage with the rest of the cast of ‘War Horse’ at The National Theatre. I had the smallest part, but felt part of something quite extraordinary.

You were 30 when your first book was published, but how old were you when you started to write stories?

I was about 19 when I tried to write my first story. It took me a while to find my voice.

What are you reading at the moment?

‘The Children’s Book’ by AS Byatt.

Do you have any advice for budding writers?

Plenty. Read a lot, write a little each day, it doesn’t matter how little. Only write about what you really care about. Read what you write out loud, so that you can hear the music in the words. That’ll do for a start.

Find out more at www.michaelmorpurgo.com

Guest AuthorInterview

Write Like Morpurgo

CharactersMichael’s characters are above all, real people. They have real strengths, weaknesses,

fears and stories of their own. Your characters will need to be similar. Firstly, come up with

a name and write about their past and present. Create a fact sheet to get the basics

outlined and then ask your friends for more details which you can add (see overleaf).

Work together so that you get one character each with their own little complexities.

Remember, a main character must be special, either clever or strong or just kind to

people.

SettingNo matter what the length of your story, your setting is still very important. Morpurgo often

uses very natural settings in his books, when he’s not got characters in the trenches. A

setting is not just visual: how it sounds, smells, feels and even tastes (if you want be that

detailed) are always useful to have in there and only help to enrich the story. Are there a

lot of other people, or is it secluded? How do characters get there?

AnimalsMost of Morpurgo’s books involve animals as major characters, Kasper the cat or Joey the

horse are some examples of this. You can do the same as well. Will your character have

a pet they’re very close to, an animal they meet randomly or the main character as an

animal? Try to add an animal to your story. Make them special though; no one wants to

read about the average life of a Border collie do they!

PlotWhile World War I is a common theme in Michael’s books, it is by no means his only

idea. Try to avoid having your characters just be soldier boys, but maybe make the story

more personal and unique. Get the setting involved: is the farm your character lives on

being demolished, is there a problem on the island, are the forests being cut down,

endangering your animal characters? A war is not the only option, so try and think of

something more close to home, perhaps something personal that you can relate to.

The WritingNow that you have the bare bones of your story, it’s time to bring it to life! It’s the writing

that makes your characters loveable or truly diabolical. Don’t rush yourself, each character

needs to be deep and seem like a real person. And remember, more plot doesn’t always

mean a better story. Sometimes a vivid description can be just as engaging as a major

plot twist …

Now read a friend’s work and see how they did. Do you prefer their

story or yours? Who has the best descriptions?

Who is your favourite character of theirs? Share your feedback with each other.

Try to offer constructive critism - why does something need to be improved etc.

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Write like Morpurgo Planning Sheet

CharacterMain Character’s Name: ..........................................................................................................................................................

Age: .................................... Occupation (Or are they an animal?) ......................................................................................................

Where do they live? .....................................................................................................................................................................

What are their strengths? ........................................................................................................................................................

And weaknesses? ..........................................................................................................................................................................

What do they look like? ............................................................................................................................................................

Details of other characters can be noted here (or more in depth in your notebook):

SettingWhat country are you setting your story in? ..............................................................................................................

What year/time period - past, present, future? ........................................................................................................

Use your senses to write notes about what your character(s) will see, smell, hear, touch, taste:

Write like Morpurgo Planning SheetContinued

PlotWhat is going to happen at the beginning? ............................................................................................................

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Are you going to use action, dialogue or description to open your story? .......................................

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What happens in the middle? .............................................................................................................................................

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What happens at the end? ....................................................................................................................................................

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Notes and Other Ideas:

Write like MorpurgoStory Title: ....................................................................................................................................................................................

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Name: ........................................................................... Surname: .............................................................. Age: ..................

Address: ................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Send your completed story to us for the chance to be published!

Farms For City Children

Farms for City Children offers a full farming, countryside experience for inner city children. It was founded in 1976 by Michael and Clare Morpurgo and, at the time, was based fully at Nethercott Farm, Devon. 38 years later the charity makes use of three farms; Nethercott, Wick Court in Gloucestershire and Treginnis Isaf in Wales. They welcome around 3,000 children a year and 400 teachers.

It is an intense ‘learning by doing’ experience for children who don’t know where their food comes from or are sheltered from the natural world. The charity aims to raise self-esteem, enrich the lives of and allow children to get involved in a real farming life for a week, in a safe and friendly way.

The charity aims to give children:

• awareness of healthy eating• self-worth through completion of

different tasks• immersion and total involvement through

a whole seven-day stay a ‘world away’• an inspirational setting to encourage

storytelling • emotional and social development and

building and developing relationships

The charity is funded by many foundations and businesses and earns money through its gift shops and the website which sells signed copies of Morpurgo’s books.

The charity describes itself:

“Over the years the formula has changed very little. Simply, children are involved in everything necessary to keep the farms going. They learn hands-on where their food comes from, the importance of caring for animals and the land, and the value of working co-operatively as a team.”

Michael Morpurgo has described how the relationship between a young boy with a stammer and a horse on the charity’s farm was partly responsible for inspiring the novel War Horse.

“[I’m] oldish, married, with three children and a grandfather six times over.”

Children’s Laureate 2003-2005

In 2003 Michael Morpurgo became the third Children’s Laureate, a scheme he helped to establish, with the late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, to reward a lifetime contribution to children’s literature

and highlight the importance of the role of children’s books.

The role of Children’s Laureate is awarded once every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children’s books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field.

The Children’s Laureate receives a bursary of £15,000 and a specially designed and inscribed silver medal. The Children’s Laureate is managed by Booktrust,

who support the Laureate, organise the four official Children’s Laureate events per year, raise funds, manage the press and PR and run the official website.

Booktrust work closely with the Children’s Laureate Steering Committee, made up of representatives of the children’s book world, who provide a range of

expertise and guidance with which to support the Children’s Laureate’s work.

War Horse was ‘discovered’ by National Theatre associate director Tom Morris during Michael Morpurgo’s laureateship. It’s now the

biggest-selling production ever at the New London Theatre!

As Children’s Laureate, Michael was keen to assert that “literature comes before literacy and encourage all children“... to discover and rediscover

the secret pleasure that is reading, and to begin to find their voice in their own writing”. During his time in the role, he toured extensively: “I wanted

to remind people of all ages of the power of stories”, he says.

You can find out more about the Children’s Laureate at www.childrenslaureate.org.uk.

War HorseWar Horse is arguably Michael Morpurgo’s most famous book.

Initially inspired by a chance sighting of a boy with a stutter talking fluently with a horse, War Horse is set across the build up to and during World War I. It follows the story of Joey, a horse bought at auction by a farmer, that goes on to experience the war in all its horrific glory. He witnesses first-hand hand the troubles faced by both German and English soldiers, sees how the civilians are treated when the Western Front moves further East, meets deserters and engineers, and some of the cruelest

of commanders, but his undying courage is still a beacon of hope for all. War Horse was runner-up for the Whitbread Book Award in 1982.

War Horse was published in 1982 and since then has been re-written as a play and a major movie directed by Steven Spielberg. The cast includes Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jeremy Irvine. War Horse was one of the most popular movies of that year, nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, two

Golden Globe Awards and five BAFTAs.

The play, premiering in 2007, is still a massively popular West End production. Rather than use real horses, the play makes use of elaborate puppets built by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa. These puppets have become the

trademark image of the play. The puppets are controlled in the traditional way by two people, one at either end, working the legs, body and head.

Above all, War Horse is a story about the trials of a single horse on its way across war-torn Europe and can be comfortably called Morpurgo’s most successful story.

It was also featured in the Once Upon a Wartime: Classic War Stories for Children exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London.

“For me, the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches. I love finishing it, then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers.”

Recommended ReadsKasper: The Prince of CatsPublisher Harper Collins Children’s BooksRRP £5.99ISBN 9780007267002

Kasper first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket. Johnny Trott knows because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell hop and was carrying all of the Countess’ things to her room. But when Kasper is left in Johnny’s hands forever, events send them around the world because after all, Kasper is the Prince of Cats and possible the only cat to have survived the Titanic.

The Last WolfPublisher Yearling Books RRP £4.99ISBN 9780705420211

Robbie McLeod and a wolf cub, both orphaned, embark on an adventure that takes them far from their birthplace, a land of rebellion and redcoats in search of a new home. But deep down, Robbie knows the wolf can’t stay with him forever, and must find its own natural home too.

Private PeacefulPublisher Harper Collins Children’s BooksRRP £6.99ISBN 9780007486441

Thomas ‘Tommo’ Peaceful and his brother Charlie are inseparable. School, play, sleep and eat: they did it all together. They even loved the same girl. But now they must face war together, in all its terrible glory. Will they stay true to each other, or will other forces drive them apart?

BeowulfPublisher Walker BooksRRP £7.99ISBN 9781406305975

In fifth century Denmark, a horrible monster, Grendel, stalks the lands and only the great prince of Geates is strong enough to overcome it. Beowulf is the oldest British literature epic, retold masterfully by Michael Morpurgo in this artful volume, that perfectly captures the feel of the original.

Recommended ReadsListen to the moonPublisher Harper CollinsRRP £12.99ISBN9780007339631

On an uninhabited island in the scillies, Alfie and his father find an injured girl - alone, and with no memory of who she is or how she came to be there. Is she a mermaid, a ghost? or could she be, as some islanders suggest, a German spy?

Mr. Nobody’s EyesPublisher Egmont BooksRRP £5.99ISBN 9781405226714

It is wartime and Harry is having trouble at school. He doesn’t like his step-father or the new baby but then he befriends Ocky, the chimpanzee from the circus who runs away with Harry. At first, their new homeless lifestyle is a big adventure, but soon things take a turn for the worst. Will anybody help them?

Running Wild Publisher Harper Collins Children’s BooksRRP £6.99ISBN 9780007267026

For Will and his mother, a trip to Indonesia was an escape from the troubles back at home. But when Will is riding an elephant named Oona, things take a turn for the worst. A tsunami hits and Oona runs. But when the storms stop, Oona keeps on running. Now Will is lost in the jungle with nothing but the clothes on his back and a bottle of water. A holiday becomes a fight for survival deep in the jungle. But, luckily, Will isn’t completely by himself. He has one friend left alongside him. He has Oona!

“I try to live as interesting a life as

possible, to do things I’ve never done

before, to go places, meet people,

read books, watch films, will my head

and my heart with the world around

me. That way, so far, the well of

ideas does not run dry.”

“Write a little each day, it doesn’t matter how little. Only write about what you really care about.”

Michael Morpurgo QuizMichael has written many books and has had an interesting life, so far. Let’s see what you know.

(You may need to use a computer/the library to help with some questions. Answers provided later in the pack!)

1. When was Michael Morpurgo born and in which country?

2. What are the names of the two main characters in Private Peaceful?

3. What university did Michael Morpurgo go to?

4. What is Michael Morpurgo’s favourite part of writing?

5. How many grandchildren does Michael Morpurgo have?

6. What was the name of the horse in War Horse?

7. What is the name of the boy in The Last Wolf?

8. When was ‘Listen to the Moon’ released?

9. What is the name of the first monster in Beowulf?

10. What is the name of Michael Morpurgo’s charity?

11. Why was Kasper special?

12. What does Michael Morpurgo spend half his life doing?

Wordsearch

A R I Q K K H H G Z I R B Z L

B H Z S K W O S X P S O N F W

E H R Y G K A S P E R P D Q W

S E E E K K M T S F L T I M Y

T W U X G C N A R Z K K C T H

M J Y K D A U F P O S S O M A

A F O S X G M L D B Y V L Y P

T S Y R W S J U D L D S L K D

E V A Q D P V G Z D R S Y C H

C R P I N T S I Z E Q Z E O G

E S C P Y V H C R V T Y X N H

P L B O S T A Y E E B N A L R

F A A C T R D F R V W J O E Y

M I C H X X O C X T L O Z M A

Q O P O M J W I B R N S G E B

There are many different animals in Morpurgo’s stories, each one with a unique name. Can you find all the animal characters below?

1. Montezuma

2. Kasper

3. Joey

4. Paco

5. Ocky

6. Tips

7. Shadow

8. Colly

9. Mossop

10. Lucky

11. Pintsize

12. Best Mate

Answers

Quiz Answers1. 5th October 1946, in England

2. ‘Tommo’ and Charlie Peaceful

3. University of London

4. Dreaming up the story

5. 6

6. Joey

7. Robbie McLeod

8. September 2014

9. Grendel

10. Farms For City Children

11. He was the only feline Titanic survivor

12. Either mucking out the shed and feeding animals or dreaming up stories

A R I Q K K H H G Z I R B Z L

B H Z S K W O S X P S O N F W

E H R Y G K A S P E R P D Q W

S E E E K K M T S F L T I M Y

T W U X G C N A R Z K K C T H

M J Y K D A U F P O S S O M A

A F O S X G M L D B Y V L Y P

T S Y R W S J U D L D S L K D

E V A Q D P V G Z D R S Y C H

C R P I N T S I Z E Q Z E O G

E S C P Y V H C R V T Y X N H

P L B O S T A Y E E B N A L R

F A A C T R D F R V W J O E Y

M I C H X X O C X T L O Z M A

Q O P O M J W I B R N S G E B