Kate Saunders facts for kids

Katharine Mary Saunders (born May 4, 1960 – died April 21, 2023) was a talented English writer, actress, and journalist. She was known for her amazing stories and acting roles. Kate Saunders won the Betty Trask Award and the Costa Children's Book Award. She was also nominated twice for the important Carnegie Medal.

Early Life and Education

Katharine Mary Saunders was born in London, England, on May 4, 1960. She grew up in a large family as the oldest of six children. Her father, Basil Saunders, worked in public relations. Her mother, Betty Saunders, was a journalist. Kate went to school at the Camden School for Girls.

Career Highlights

Acting on Television

Kate Saunders worked as an actress when she was in her twenties. She appeared in a popular TV show called Only Fools and Horses in 1982. She played a policewoman in one episode.

Kate also often appeared on radio and TV shows. She was on Radio 4 programs like Woman's Hour. She was even a guest on the very first episode of the news quiz show Have I Got News for You. A children's TV series called Belfry Witches was based on her own books about two playful witches.

Writing Wonderful Books

Kate Saunders wrote for many newspapers and magazines in the UK. These included The Sunday Times and Cosmopolitan. She also wrote many novels for adults.

She won the annual Costa Children's Book Award in 2014. This was for her book Five Children on the Western Front. This book was a new story in the classic fantasy series started by E. Nesbit in 1902. That series began with Five Children and It.

Kate also contributed to an official sequel for the famous Winnie-the-Pooh stories. This book was called The Best Bear in All the World. Her children's novel The Land of Neverendings was nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2019. Five Children on the Western Front was also nominated in 2016.

Later Life and Legacy

Kate Saunders married Philip Wells in 1985. They had a son together, but later divorced. Sadly, their son passed away when he was 19 years old.

Kate Saunders lived with multiple sclerosis, a health condition. Her health became more challenging after her son's death. However, she kept writing and creating stories until the end of her life. She passed away from cancer at her home in Archway, London, on April 21, 2023. She was 62 years old.

Selected Books

Here are some of the books Kate Saunders wrote:

Novels for Adults

• The Prodigal Father (1986)
• Storm in the Citadel (1989)
• Night Shall Overtake Us (1993)
• Wild Young Bohemians (1995)
• Lily-Josephine (1998)
• The Marrying Game (2002)
• Bachelor Boys (2004)
• Crooked Castle (2013)
• Mariana (2013)

The Laetitia Rodd Mysteries

• The Secrets of Wishtide (2016)
• The Case of the Wandering Scholar (2019)
• The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden (2021)

Children's Books

• A Spell of Witches (1999)
• The Belfry Witches (omnibus) (2003)
• Cat and the Stinkwater War (2003)
• The Little Secret (2006)
• Beswitched (2010)
• Magicalamity (2011)
• The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop (2012)
• The Curse of The Chocolate Phoenix (2013)
• Five Children on the Western Front (2014)
• The Land of Neverendings (2017)

Film and Television Appearances

Kate Saunders also appeared in several films and TV shows.

Film Roles

Television Roles