Francesca Simon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francesca Simon
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|---|---|
| Born |
Francesca Isabella Simon
23 February 1955 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Yale University; Jesus College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 1963–present |
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Notable work
|
Horrid Henry Evil Evie |
| Spouse(s) | Martin Stamp |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) |
|
| Relatives | Anne Simon (sister) |
| Writing career | |
| Genre | Children's literature |
Francesca Isabella Simon is a British author, born in America. She is most famous for creating the popular Horrid Henry book series. She also wrote the Evil Evie series.
Francesca Simon was born on February 23, 1955. Her father, Mayo Simon, was a screenwriter and playwright.
About Francesca Simon
Francesca Simon was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. She grew up in California. Later, she studied at Yale University and Jesus College, Oxford. She focused on medieval studies and Old English.
Before becoming a full-time author, Simon worked as a journalist. She wrote for several well-known newspapers and magazines. These included The Sunday Times, The Guardian, and Vogue (US).
Francesca Simon is married to Martin Stamp. They have one son named Joshua, who was born in 1989. The idea for the Horrid Henry books came from a friend. This friend asked her to write a story about a "horrid" child. Simon also wanted to explore sibling rivalry. She thought about families where one child seemed "perfect" and the other "horrid."
Many Horrid Henry stories were inspired by events from Simon's own life. She also used experiences from people she knew. Of course, her imagination played a big part too!
Simon was inspired to write by the author Anthony Trollope. She started writing children's books full-time in 1989. She is now one of the UK's top-selling children's writers. She has published over 50 different books. Her Horrid Henry series is incredibly popular. It has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. The books have been translated into 24 different languages.
Francesca Simon lives in London with her husband, Martin. They used to have a Tibetan spaniel named Shanti. Shanti was even featured in a short story Simon wrote. The story was part of an anthology called Paws and Whiskers. This book was put together by author Jacqueline Wilson in 2014.
In 2019, the Royal Opera House created an opera. It was based on Simon's book The Monstrous Child. This book is about the Norse god of the dead, Hel. The opera shows Hel as an angry teenager. Francesca Simon wrote the story for the opera herself.
Her Amazing Books
- Horrid Henry series, illustrated by Tony Ross, Orion Books, 1994 to 2015
- This series was recognized for the Guardian Prize in 2014.
Awards and Recognition
In 2008, Francesca Simon won a big award. It was the British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year. She won for her book Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman. She was the first American author to win this special award.
In 2023, Francesca Simon received another honor. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This is a special award from the British government. It recognized her great contributions to literature.
