Patrick Skene Catling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patrick Skene Catling
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Skene Catling in February 2014
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| Born | 14 February 1925 London, England |
| Died | 9 January 2026 (aged 100) Bantry, County Cork, Ireland |
| Occupation | Writer, journalist, book reviewer |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Oberlin College |
| Spouse | Susan Barnes Watson (1949–1960) Diane Wheeler Nicholson (1964–1984) |
| Children | 4 |
Patrick Skene Catling (born on February 14, 1925, and passed away on January 9, 2026) was a British writer. He was a journalist and reviewed books. He is most famous for his children's book, The Chocolate Touch, which he wrote in 1952. Throughout his life, he wrote many books, including novels for adults and several more stories for children.
Contents
About Patrick Skene Catling
Early Life and Career
Patrick Skene Catling was born in London, England, on February 14, 1925. He went to school in London. Later, he studied at Oberlin College in the United States. During World War II, he was a navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He also worked as a journalist for newspapers like The Baltimore Sun and The Manchester Guardian.
Patrick Skene Catling traveled a lot during his life. Even in his later years, he kept writing books. He also wrote reviews for magazines and newspapers such as The Spectator and The Telegraph. He lived in Reenacoppul, Ireland, for some time. Patrick Skene Catling passed away in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland, on January 9, 2026. He was 100 years old when he died.
His Writing Journey
When The Chocolate Touch was first published in 1952, it was very popular. Many reviewers loved the story. After this success, Patrick Skene Catling wrote many more books. He even created a series of children's books featuring John Midas, the main character from The Chocolate Touch. These books include John Midas in the Dreamtime (1986), John Midas and the Vampires (1994), John Midas and the Radio Touch (1994), and John Midas and the Rock Star (1995). The School Library Journal said about John Midas in the Dreamtime: "...children who have been dragged around tourist sights will relate to John's boredom."
Books for Young Readers
- The Chocolate Touch (Morrow, 1957)
- John Midas in the Dreamtime (Morrow, 1986)
- The Orphan and the Billionaire (Methuen Young Books, 1990)
- Eskimo Surprise (Mammoth, 1993)
- John Midas and the Radio Touch (Methuen Young Books, 1993)
- A Trunkful of Tricks (Heinemann Young Books, 1994)
- John Midas and the Vampires (Mammoth, 1994)
- John Midas and the Rock Star (Egmont Childrens' Books, 1995)
- Chocolate Magic (Mammoth, 2000)
Other Works
Novels
- Tourist Attraction (Macmillan, 1963)
- The Experiment (Anthony Blond, 1968)
- The Exterminator (The Bodley Head, 1969)
- The Catalogue (The Bodley Head, 1970)
- The Surrogate (Rupert Hart-Davis, 1972)
- Best Summer Job (Simon & Schuster, 1974)
- Secret Ingredients (Hart-Davis McGibbon, 1976)
- Bliss Incorporated (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1976)
- Freddy Hill in Las Vegas (Panther, 1979)
- Jazz, Jazz, Jazz (Blond and Briggs, 1980)
- Murder Becomes Electra: A Love Story (Somerville Press, 2018)
Non-fiction
- Better Than Working (Faber & Faber, 1960)
- The Right End of the Stick (Faber & Faber, 1963)
- The Joy of Freeloading (Bloomsbury, 1990)
