Shirley Hughes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shirley Hughes
|
|
|---|---|
Hughes in 2011
|
|
| Born | Winifred Shirley Hughes 16 July 1927 West Kirby, England |
| Died | 25 February 2022 (aged 94) London, England |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Period | 1960–2022 |
| Genre | Children's literature, picture books |
| Notable works |
|
| Notable awards | Kate Greenaway Medal 1977, 2003 |
| Spouse |
John Vulliamy
(m. 1952; died 2002) |
| Children | 3 |
Shirley Hughes (born Winifred Shirley Hughes; 16 July 1927 – 25 February 2022) was a famous English author and illustrator. She created many beloved children's books. Shirley Hughes wrote over 50 books and illustrated more than 200 others. Her books have sold over 11.5 million copies around the world.
She was honored with the CBE award for her contributions to literature. She also won the important Kate Greenaway Medal twice. This award celebrates the best illustrations in British children's books. In 2015, she received the first-ever BookTrust lifetime achievement award. This award recognized her amazing career.
Contents
Shirley Hughes' Early Life
Shirley Hughes was born in West Kirby, England, on 16 July 1927. Her father, Thomas James Hughes, owned a chain of stores. Shirley grew up on the Wirral.
From a young age, she loved art. She was inspired by artists like Arthur Rackham. She also loved going to the cinema and the Walker Art Gallery.
Shirley went to West Kirby Grammar School. However, she said she wasn't a very good student in regular subjects. When she was 16, she left school to study art. She studied drawing and costume design at the Liverpool School of Art. Later, she also studied at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford.
After finishing art school, Shirley moved to Notting Hill, London. In 1952, she married John Sebastian Papendiek Vulliamy. He was an architect and an etcher. They had three children together. Her daughter, Clara Vulliamy, also became a children's book illustrator.
Her Amazing Career
At art school in Oxford, Shirley Hughes was encouraged to create picture books. She learned how to make illustrations using a technique called lithography. After graduating, she started her career by illustrating books for other authors. Some of these included My Naughty Little Sister by Dorothy Edwards.
Her first book that she both wrote and illustrated was Lucy & Tom's Day. This book became very popular and led to a series of stories. Shirley went on to write over 50 more stories.
Some of her most famous works include:
- Dogger (1977)
- The Alfie series (starting in 1977), which features a young boy named Alfie and his sister Annie-Rose.
- The Olly and Me series (starting in 1993).
In 2003, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool held an exhibition of her artwork. This exhibition later moved to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
Shirley Hughes illustrated 200 children's books. These books sold more than 10 million copies. Her Alfie books were especially popular. In 2015, she wrote her first novel for young adults. It was called Hero on a Bicycle.
Shirley Hughes passed away on 25 February 2022 at her home in London. She was 94 years old. Many people shared tributes to her. The BookTrust, a large children's reading charity in the UK, said they were "devastated" by her death. They thanked her for her "incredible stories and illustrations." Michael Morpurgo, the author of War Horse, said that she "began the reading lives of so many millions."
Awards and Recognition
Shirley Hughes received many awards for her wonderful work.
Kate Greenaway Medal
Her book Dogger (1977) was a huge success. It was the first of her stories to be published widely around the world. Dogger won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1977. This award is given to the best children's book illustration by a British subject.
In 2007, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Greenaway Medal, Dogger was voted the public's favorite winning book. It was chosen as the "Greenaway of Greenaways."
Shirley Hughes won a second Greenaway Medal in 2003 for Ella's Big Chance. This book was her own version of the classic story of Cinderella, set in the 1920s. She was also a runner-up for the Greenaway Medal three other times.
Other Important Awards
In 1984, Shirley Hughes won the Eleanor Farjeon Award. This award recognizes great service to children's literature. In 1999, she was awarded an OBE. In 2000, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
She also received special honors from several universities. These included Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool in 2004, and the University of Chester in 2012.
In 2015, Booktrust, the UK's largest reading charity, gave Shirley Hughes their first-ever lifetime achievement award. This was a huge honor for her long and successful career. In 2017, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to literature.
Books by Shirley Hughes
- Moving Molly ISBN: 9780099916505
- Bathwater's Hot ISBN: 9780688042028
- Noisy ISBN: 9780744533774
- When We Went to the Park ISBN: 9780744567373
- All Shapes and Sizes ISBN: 9780888945167
- Colours ISBN: 9780744509243
- Two Shoes, New Shoes ISBN: 9780688042073
- Out and About ISBN: 9780688076917
- Dogger ISBN: 9781856817646
- Lucy and Tom's Christmas ISBN: 9780140504699
- Lucy and Tom at the Seaside ISBN: 9780140504699
- Tales of Trotter Street ISBN: 9780763600907
- Hero on a Bicycle ISBN: 9781406336115
- The Christmas Eve Ghost ISBN: 9780763644727
- The Lion and the Unicorn ISBN: 9780789425553
- Helpers ISBN: 9780099926504
- Angel Mae ISBN: 9780744511369
- Dogger's Christmas ISBN: 9781782300809
Alfie Stories
- Alfie Gets in First ISBN: 9780440841289
- Alfie Gives a Hand ISBN: 9780099256076
- Alfie Wins a Prize ISBN: 9781862309937
- Alfie's Feet ISBN: 9780688016586
- Alfie's Weather ISBN: 9780099404255
- An Evening at Alfie's ISBN: 9780370305882
- The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Story Book ISBN: 9780688076726
- Rhymes for Annie Rose ISBN: 9780370319803
Books Illustrated by Shirley Hughes
- Rust, Doris, All Sorts of Days: Six Stories for the Very Young (1955)
- Corrin, Sara and Stephen, Stories for Eight-Year-Olds (1974)
