Awful Auntie facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | David Walliams |
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| Illustrator | Tony Ross |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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26 September 2014 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 369 |
| ISBN | 978-0-00745361-0 |
Awful Auntie is a popular children's book. It was written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. This book is the seventh one Walliams has written. Many people know David Walliams as an actor from the TV show Little Britain. He is also a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
The story is about a girl named Stella Saxby. She is the only person who will inherit Saxby Hall. But her very mean Aunt Alberta and her huge owl cause Stella a lot of trouble. Aunt Alberta wants to take Stella's inheritance. She will do anything to get it.
Contents
The Story of Awful Auntie
The book's story takes place in December 1933. The main character is Stella Saxby. Her parents, Lord and Lady Saxby, have died in a car accident. After this sad event, Stella's Aunt Alberta starts a plan. She wants to trick Stella so she can take all of Stella's family money and property.
Other important characters are Wagner, who is Aunt Alberta's very big owl. He was found during a war. There's also Soot, a chimney sweep, and Gibbon, the old butler of the Saxby family. Gibbon often makes the story funny.
Aunt Alberta's Character
Aunt Alberta is truly awful, just like her name says. She doesn't care about anyone's feelings. She also doesn't have good morals. For example, she chose to be on the German side in World War I. She said it was because she liked their uniforms better. She also loves fierce owls. Stella is rightly scared of her aunt. Stella has to be very smart and brave to get away from her aunt's bad plans.
Where the Idea Came From
David Walliams shared some of his inspirations for the book. He said that the actress Miriam Margolyes helped him get the idea for Aunt Alberta. Miriam Margolyes is known for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films. Walliams quickly added that he really likes her acting. He also said he has nothing against her.
He told The Daily Telegraph about meeting her. He said, "She came to see me when I was appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the West End." He added, "I just met her once and she said something rude in front of my aunt."
Walliams also mentioned that he often thinks of actors when he writes. For example, he thought of Michael Gambon when he wrote Mr Stink. He said the actor "inspired the eccentricity, not the smell." The name Saxby, used for the main character Stella, was a tribute. It came from children's illustrator Quentin Blake. His middle name is Saxby.
Awful Auntie on Screen
On March 30, 2015, David Walliams announced some exciting news. He was talking about the Billionaire Boy movie. At the same time, he also announced a film version of Awful Auntie. It was planned to be shown in December 2016. However, it didn't air then. Walliams later said that the film is now being made for cinemas instead.
Awful Auntie on Stage
On March 17, 2017, the official World of Walliams page shared more news. They announced a theatre tour for Awful Auntie. This came after the successful stage show of Gangsta Granny in 2016. Neal Foster adapted and directed the play.
The tour began in September 2017. It started at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. The show finished in January 2019 at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London. The cast included Georgina Leonidas as Stella. Timothy Speyer played Aunt Alberta. Ashley Cousins was Soot, and James Endears played Gibbon.
