Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson is an English author and playwright, known for her popular children's books. She has penned over fifty books and plays for children, including "One Ted Falls Out of Bed", "The Snail and the Whale", "The Gruffalo", which won the Smarties Book Prize, and "Tyrannosaurus Drip". Notable additions to her bibliography include "Room on the Broom", and "Stick Man". Her first children's book, "A Squash and a Squeeze", was adapted from one of her songs and marked a pivotal transition from song-writing to children’s literature. To date, she has published 184 works, 64 of which are available in bookshops and 120 are intended for school use.

Donaldson's work extends beyond writing, involving a significant contribution to children's educational activities. This includes devising short plays to enhance children's reading skills, volunteering in schools, and helping children build confidence in reading aloud through play performance. She has also composed songs for BBC Children's Television programs like "Play Away" and was behind the creation of two musicals for children: "King Grunt's Cake" (1976) and "Pirate on the Pier" (1980).

In 2025, Donaldson became Britain's best-selling author, surpassing J.K. Rowling. Her success is partly attributed to her collaborations with illustrators such as Lydia Monks, David Roberts, and Nick Sharratt. "The Gruffalo", illustrated by Axel Scheffler, has been translated into over 50 languages and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Her accomplishments have led to her appointment as the Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and her promotion to Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019. She has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Bristol in 2011 and the University of Glasgow in 2012.

Her public events usually involve acting out stories and singing songs, with extensive audience participation and collaborations with her husband Malcolm Donaldson and illustrators like Axel Scheffler and Lydia Monks. Donaldson's performances are not limited to English; she has also performed her books in German during tours and at the Berlin Festival. In 2007, Donaldson and her husband embarked on a World Tour, performing in locations such as Bermuda, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and America.

Julia Donaldson grew up in London and now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, with her family. She continues to passionately campaign against library cuts and closures and lends her support as a patron to several charities including ArtLink Central, Bookbug, Storybook Dads, and Monmouth's Savoy Cinema.