Sir Quentin Saxby Blake, (born 16 December 1932) is an English cartoonist,

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfred Grévin (1827–1892) * Al ...

, illustrator and

children's writer Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

. He has illustrated over 300 books, including 18 written by

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

, which are among his most popular works. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator he won the biennial international

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

in 2002, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. From 1999 to 2001, he was the inaugural British

Children's Laureate Children's Laureate, now known as the 'Waterstones Children's Laureate' is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their fie ...

. He is a patron of the Association of Illustrators.

Early life

Blake was born in 1932 in Sidcup, Kent, son of William and Evelyn Blake. His father was a civil servant, and his mother a housewife. Blake was evacuated to the West Country during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He attended Holy Trinity

Lamorbey Lamorbey is a district of South East London in the London Borough of Bexley, located north of Sidcup. It borders the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Significant buildings in the area are Holy Trinity Church, Lamorbey House and some of the original ...

Church of England Primary School and

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is a mixed-sex grammar school with academy status located in Hurst Road ( A222), Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley, England. It is located adjacent to Lamorbey Park, the Rose Bruford College drama sc ...

, where his English teacher, J. H. Walsh, influenced his life's work. His artistic development during his school years was helped by contact with the painter and cartoonist Alfred Jackson, the husband of Blake's Latin teacher, who encouraged his first submissions to ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pu ...

'', resulting in his first publication at the age of 16. In the sixth form, the school's art teacher, the painter

Stanley Simmonds Stanley Wilfred Simmonds ARCA (29 October 1917 – 11 June 2006) was a British painter and art teacher. He was born in Droitwich, Worcestershire, in 1917, the third and youngest son of a relief signalman and a dressmaker. After a scholarsh ...

recognized Blake's talents and provided support and exposure to the work of other artists. He read English Literature at

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the old ...

, under F. R. Leavis, from 1953 to 1956, received his postgraduate teaching diploma from the University of London

Institute of Education IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society (IOE) is the education school of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties. Prior to ...

, and later studied part-time at the

Chelsea School of Art Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London based in London, United Kingdom, and is a leading British art and design institution with an international reputation. It offers further and higher educat ...

and later

Camberwell College of Art Camberwell College of Arts is a public tertiary art school in Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated wit ...

. He has since denied that studying at the University of Cambridge contributed to his artistic or creative talent.

Career

During the 1960s, Blake taught English at the

Lycée Français de Londres In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children betwee ...

which cemented his long association with France and culminated in the award of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleo ...

. He taught at the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It ...

for over twenty years, where he was head of the Illustration department from 1978 to 1986. The first book that Blake illustrated was ''The Wonderful Button'' by

Evan Hunter Evan Hunter, born Salvatore Albert Lombino,(October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author and screenwriter best known for his 87th Precinct novels, written under his Ed McBain pen name, and the novel upon which the film ''Blackbo ...

, published by Abelard-Schuman in 1961."The wonderful button"
(first edition). Library of Congress Catalog Record. Retrieved 2012-08-27. In his subsequent career, he gained a reputation as a loyal, reliable and humorous illustrator of more than 300

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

, including some written by

Joan Aiken Joan Delano Aiken (4 September 1924 – 4 January 2004) was an English writer specialising in supernatural fiction and children's alternative history novels. In 1999 she was awarded an MBE for her services to children's literature. For ''The ...

Elizabeth Bowen Elizabeth Bowen CBE (; 7 June 1899 – 22 February 1973) was an Irish-British novelist and short story writer notable for her books about the "big house" of Irish landed Protestants as well her fiction about life in wartime London. Life ...

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, '' Th ...

, Nils-Olof Franzén,

William Steig William Steig (November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer of children's books, best known for the picture book '' Shrek!'', which inspired the film series of the same name, as well as others that i ...

, and

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Great Day for Up! ''Great Day for Up!'' is a book written by Dr. Seuss and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It was published by Random House on August 28, 1974. Plot The narrator says that today is a good day for things to go up. As more things are described as ge ...

'' (1974). By 2006, Blake had illustrated 323 books, of which he had written 35 and Dahl had written 18. To date, Blake has illustrated two of David Walliams' books and has illustrated

Folio Society The Folio Society is a London-based publisher, founded by Charles Ede in 1947 and incorporated in 1971. Formerly privately owned, it operates as an employee ownership trust since 2021. It produces illustrated hardback editions of classic fic ...

Limited Editions such as ''Don Quixote'', ''Candide'' and ''50 Fables of

La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, , ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his '' Fables'', which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Eu ...

''. In the 1970s, Blake was an occasional presenter of the BBC children's storytelling programme ''

Jackanory ''Jackanory'' is a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the first story was the fair ...

'', when he would illustrate the stories on a canvas as he was telling them. In 1993, he designed the five British Christmas issue postage stamps featuring episodes from ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas ...

'' by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

. Blake is a member of the

Chelsea Arts Club The Chelsea Arts Club is a private members' club at 143 Old Church Street in Chelsea, London with a membership of over 3,800, including artists, sculptors, architects, writers, designers, actors, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers. The club ...

. He is patron of the Blake Society,

Downing College Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the olde ...

's arts and humanities society. He is also a patron of "The Big Draw" which aims to get people drawing throughout the United Kingdom, and of The Nightingale Project, a charity that provides art to hospitals. Since 2006 he has produced work for several hospitals and mental health centres in the London area, a children's hospital (hopital Armand Trousseau) in Paris, and a maternity hospital in Angers, France. These projects are detailed in Blake's 2012 book ''Quentin Blake: Beyond the Page'', which describes how, in his seventies, his work has increasingly appeared outside the pages of books, in public places such as hospitals, theatre foyers, galleries and museums. In 2007, he designed a huge mural on fabric, suspended over and thus disguising a ramshackle building immediately opposite an entrance to

St Pancras railway station St Pancras railway station (), also known as London St Pancras or St Pancras International and officially since 2007 as London St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden. It i ...

. The rendering of an "imaginary welcoming committee" greets passengers arriving on the

Eurostar Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service connecting the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Most Eurostar trains travel through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France, owned and operate ...

high-speed railway. Blake is a supporter of and ambassador for the indigenous rights NGO

Survival International Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969, a London based charity that campaigns for the rights of indigenous and/or tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples. The organisation's campaigns generally focus on tribal peo ...

. In 2009, he said, "For me, Survival is important for two reasons; one is that I think right that we should give help and support to people who are threatened by the rapacious industrial society we have created; and the other that, more generally, it gives an important signal about how we all ought to be looking after the world. Its message is the most fundamental of any charity I'm connected with." Blake is the Founding Trustee of House of Illustration, a centre in London for exhibitions, educational events and activities related to the art of illustration. He was also the subject of the first exhibition at this venue, entitled Inside Stories", which opened in July 2014. In August 2020, it was announced that the centre will be relocating to the 18th century Engine House at New River Head in the

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redis ...

area of London, and will be renamed the ''Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration''. Besides children's books, Blake is also the designer of Ben, the logo of the shop chain

Ben's Cookies Ben's Cookies is an international chain of shops that bake and sell cookies. After making cookies at home, Helge Rubinstein opened a stall to sell them in Oxford's Covered Market in 1984. The cookies can usually be purchased warm as they are ba ...

. He designed several illustrations for the story time segments for the Scottish TV series ''

Squeak! ''Squeak!'' is a children's TV show made by SMG Productions (now known as STV Productions) for the ITV network children's strand CITV. The series re-broadcast in 2007 on STV, on their '' wknd@stv'' strand, and from 2014 as part of the "''Weans ...

''.

Comics

Blake was additionally the artist behind the comic strip ''Waldo and Wanda'', written by John Yeoman.

Selected works

The following books were both written and illustrated by Blake:"Bibliography: A complete searchable bibliography of books illustrated or authored and illustrated by Quentin Blake"
. Quentin Blake : Books : Bibliography (quentinblake.com). Archived 16 January 2012 (without search function). Retrieved 2013-09-28. * ''Patrick'' (

Jonathan Cape Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death in 1960. Cape and his business partner Wren Howard set up the publishing house in 1921. They established a reputation ...

, 1968) *''Jack and Nancy'' (Cape, 1969) * ''Angelo'' (Cape, 1970) * ''Snuff'' (Cape, 1973) * ''Lester at the Seaside'' (

William Collins, Sons William Collins, Sons (often referred to as Collins) was a Scottish printing and publishing company founded by a Presbyterian schoolmaster, William Collins, in Glasgow in 1819, in partnership with Charles Chalmers, the younger brother of Thomas ...

, 1975) * ''Lester and the Unusual Pet'' (Collins, 1975) * ''The Adventures of Lester'' ( BBC, 1977) * ''Mister Magnolia'' (Cape, 1980) —winner of the

Kate Greenaway Medal The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...

* ''Quentin Blake's Nursery Rhyme Book'' (Cape, 1983) * ''The Story of the Dancing Frog'' (Cape, 1984) * ''Mrs Armitage On Wheels'' (Cape, 1987) * ''Quentin Blake's ABC'' (Cape, 1989) * ''All Join In'' (Cape, 1990) —winner of the

Kurt Maschler Award The Kurt Maschler Award (1982 to 1999) was a British literary award that annually recognised one "work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other." Winning authors and ill ...

for integrated text and illustration * ''Cockatoos'' (Cape, 1992) * ''Simpkin'' (Cape, 1993) * ''The Quentin Blake Book of Nonsense Verse'' (

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquir ...

, 1994) * ''Clown'' (Cape, 1995) —commended runner-up for the Greenaway Medal * ''La Vie de la Page'' ( Gallimard, 1995) * ''Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave'' (Cape, 1997) * ''Dix Grenouilles (Ten Frogs)'' (Gallimard, 1997) * ''The Green Ship'' (Cape, 1998) * ''Zagazoo'' (Cape, 1998) * ''Zap! The Quentin Blake Guide to Electrical Safety'' ( Eastern Electricity, 1998) * ''Fantastic Daisy Artichoke'' (Cape, 1999) * '' The Twelve Days of Christmas (Correspondence)'' (

Atlantic Books Atlantic Books is an independent British publishing house, with its headquarters in Ormond House in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is perhaps best known for publishing Aravind Adiga's debut novel '' The White Tiger'', which rec ...

, 1999) * ''The Laureate's Party'' (

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, 2000) * ''Un Bateau Dans le Ciel'' (Rue du Monde, 2000) * ''Words and Pictures'' (Cape, 2000) * ''Tell Me a Picture'' (

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director ...

, 2001) * ''Loveykins'' (Cape, 2002) * ''Laureate's Progress'' (Cape, 2002) * ''Mrs Armitage, Queen of the Road'' (Cape, 2003) * ''A Sailing Boat In The Sky'' (Random House: Red Fox, 2003) * ''Angel Pavement'' (Cape, 2004) * ''You're Only Young Twice'' (

Andersen Press Andersen Press is a British book publishing company. It was founded in 1976 by Klaus Flugge, and was named after Hans Christian Andersen "because it is easier to pronounce and spell than Flugge". Random House has a holding in the company and a s ...

, 2008) * ''Daddy Lost his Head'' (Andre Bouchard, 2009) * ''Quentin Blake: Beyond the Page'' (

Tate Publishing Ltd Tate Publishing is a publisher of visual arts books, associated with the Tate Gallery in London, England. It was established in 1911; nowadays it is a division of Tate Enterprises Ltd, an independent company wholly owned by the Trustees of Tate, ...

, 2012) Blake has illustrated a score of books by Roald Dahl. He also illustrated the British edition of Agaton Sax, a

Swedish-language Swedish ( ) is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland. It has at least 10 million native speakers, the fourth most spoken Germanic language and the first among any other of its type in the Nordic countr ...

series of comedy detective novels by Nils-Olof Franzén (originally illustrated by Åke Lewerth, 1955 to 1978). * ''Agaton Sax and the Diamond Thieves'', 1965 * ''Agaton Sax and the Scotland Yard Mystery'', 1969 * ''Agaton Sax and the Max Brothers'' (a.k.a. Bank Robbers), 1970 * ''Agaton Sax and the Criminal Doubles'', 1971 * ''Agaton Sax and the Colossus of Rhodes'', 1972 * ''Agaton Sax and the London Computer Plot'', 1973 * ''Agaton Sax and the League of Silent Exploders'', 1974 * ''Agaton Sax and the Haunted House'', 1975 * ''Agaton Sax and the Big Rig (extended)'', 1976 * ''Agaton Sax and Lispington's Grandfather Clock'', 1978 ;Other * ''The Learning Journey'' —

National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...

, key stages 1 and 2, illustrated editions for parents * ''Three Little Monkeys'' 2016, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark * ''Three Little Monkeys Ride Again'' 2019, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark * ''Three Little Monkeys at Christmas'' 2021, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

Honours and awards

Blake was the inaugural British

(1999–2001) and he received the biennial

from the International Board on Books for Young People for his career contribution to children's literature in 2002. He was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) in the

2005 New Year Honours New Year Honours were granted in the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the start of 2005. Among these in the UK were knighthoods awarded to Mike Tomlinson, the educationalist; Derek Wanless, who led a review of the National Health Service; an ...

for his services to children's literature. In France he was made a Knight of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

in 2002 and elevated to Officer in 2007. For ''Mister Magnolia'', which he also wrote, Blake won the 1980

from the

Library Association The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers in the U ...

, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel of experts named it one of the top ten winning works, which composed the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite. He was also a highly commended Greenaway runner-up for ''The Wild Washerwomen: A new folk tale'', by John Yeoman (1979), and a commended runner-up for ''Clown'' (1995), which he wrote himself. He made the Greenaway shortlist for ''Zagazoo'' (1998), which he wrote, and for '' Sad Book'' (2004) by

Michael Rosen Michael Wayne Rosen (born 7 May 1946) is a British children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster and activist who has written 140 books. He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009. Early life Michael Wayne Ro ...

. Blake won the

, or the Emil, for ''All Join In'' (Jonathan Cape, 1990), which he wrote and illustrated. The award from Maschler Publications and Booktrust annually recognised one British "work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other." Blake was awarded the Prince Philip Designers Prize in 2011, and received the

Eleanor Farjeon Award The Eleanor Farjeon Award is made for distinguished service to the world of British children's books and is given to someone whose commitment and contribution is deemed to be outstanding. Founded in 1966, it is presented annually in memory of the ce ...

in November 2012. This annual award administered by Children's Book Circle recognises outstanding commitment and contribution to the world of British children's books. Blake was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the G ...

in the

2013 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2013 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebra ...

for his services to illustration. In March 2014 he was awarded the insignia of a

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...

at a ceremony at the Institut Français in London. He is also a Companion of the

Guild of St George The Guild of St George is a charitable Education Trust, based in England but with a worldwide membership, which tries to uphold the values and put into practice the ideas of its founder, John Ruskin (1819–1900). History Ruskin, a Victorian ...

. Blake was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the

2022 Birthday Honours The 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as pa ...

for services to illustration.

Notes

References

* D. Martin, "Quentin Blake", in Douglas Martin, ''The Telling Line: Essays On Fifteen Contemporary Book Illustrators'' (Julia MacRae Books, 1989), pp. 243–263 * Quentin Blake, "Research from an illustrator's point of view", in ''Research in Illustration: Conference Proceedings Part II'' (Brighton Polytechnic) (1981), pp. 25–61

External links

* (current); * *
Lambiek Comiclopedia article.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Quentin 1932 births 20th-century English writers 20th-century English male writers 21st-century English writers Living people English cartoonists English caricaturists English children's book illustrators English children's writers English illustrators English comics artists Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration winners Kate Greenaway Medal winners Punch (magazine) cartoonists Writers who illustrated their own writing Academics of the Royal College of Art Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts Alumni of the Royal College of Art Alumni of the University of the Arts London Fellows of Chartered Society of Designers Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor British stamp designers People from Sidcup People educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School British Children's Laureate Royal Designers for Industry Guild of St George Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour