Mark Burgess (children's author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Burgess
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Mark Burgess in 2009
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| Born | Mark Simon Burgess 26 April 1957 Chislehurst, England |
| Pen name | Simon Goswell (two books only) |
| Occupation | Artist, Writer, Computer Programmer |
| Alma mater | Christ's Hospital Slade School of Fine Art, B.A. |
| Genre | children's literature |
| Spouse | Rosemary J. Benson. |
Mark Burgess is an English author and illustrator. He was born on April 26, 1957. He is famous for his work on children's books. For two of his books, he used the pen name Simon Goswell.
Mark Burgess has drawn pictures for books by other authors. These include books by Tony Bradman and Martin Waddell. One of his most well-known jobs was illustrating Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. This book is the official follow-up to the classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
Besides books, Burgess also creates designs for greeting cards. He is also a computer programmer. He has also added color and updated newer versions of classic children's books. These older books were originally drawn by E. H. Shepard and Peggy Fortnum.
Contents
About Mark Burgess's Life
Early Life and Education
Mark Simon Burgess was born in Chislehurst, England. His birthday is April 26, 1957. His parents were John Frederick Orchard Burgess and Mona Goswell. He was the third of four children in his family.
From 1968 to 1974, he went to a boarding school. This school was called Christ's Hospital in Sussex, England. He lived in the Middleton B house there.
Becoming an Artist and Author
In 1975, Burgess started studying at the Slade School of Fine Art. This school is part of the University College London. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Fine Art in 1979.
After graduating, he started working for himself. He became a freelance author and illustrator. He created pictures for children's books, magazines, and greeting cards. He has designed over 500 greeting cards!
For a short time, he also worked at the London Zoo. He also worked in a library in Cambridge.
First Book and Family Life
The very first book Mark Burgess illustrated was Harriet and the Crocodiles. Martin Waddell wrote this book. It was published in 1983.
Today, Mark Burgess lives in Taunton, Somerset. He is married to Rosemary Benson. She is an artist from Malawi. She also studied at the Slade School of Art from 1977 to 1979.
Mark Burgess's Unique Style
Matching Other Artists' Work
Mark Burgess has written and illustrated many books in his own unique way. But he is also very good at drawing in the style of other artists. This is especially true for artists who are no longer alive.
For example, he worked on a book called Dogs' Night. Allan Curless started illustrating this book. But Curless passed away before he could finish it. Mark Burgess completed the illustrations. Most readers would not be able to tell which artist drew which pictures. This shows how skilled he is.
Illustrating Winnie-the-Pooh's Sequel
Burgess also illustrated Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. He drew the pictures in the style of E. H. Shepard. Shepard was the original artist for the Winnie-the-Pooh books. Mark Burgess really admired Shepard's work.
When he talked about working on the Pooh sequel, Burgess said:
"I approached this project with great trepidation. In my worst moments I wonder if Shepard would absolutely hate what I'm doing. That would be dreadful, I absolutely revere him."
This shows how much respect he has for the original artist.
