Julia Donaldson
Julia Donaldson is one of the world's best-loved children's authors, best known for writing The Gruffalo, one of the most celebrated picture books ever published. The Gruffalo and its sequel The Gruffalo's Child have together sold over 25 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than one hundred languages. Her other titles illustrated by longtime collaborator Axel Scheffler include Room on the Broom, Stick Man, Zog, and The Smeds and the Smoos, all of which have been adapted into animated films by Magic Light Pictures. She has written over 200 books in total, including the What the Ladybird Heard series and the Princess Mirror-Belle fiction series. She served as the UK Children's Laureate from 2011 to 2013 and has been awarded a CBE for services to literature.