Jill Barklem

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Jill Barklem (born Gillian Gaze; 23 May 1951 – 15 November 2017) was a British writer and illustrator of children's books. Her most famous work is the Brambly Hedge series, published from 1980.

Early life[]

Jill Barklem was born as Gillian Gaze in Epping on 23 May 1951.[1] Educated at Loughton High School, after an accident when she was thirteen resulting in a detached retina, she was unable to take part in PE or games at school and instead developed her talent for drawing and art. On leaving school, she studied illustration at St Martin's in London.[1]

Illustrator[]

After graduating she became an illustrator for children's bibles. Her husband suggested that she turn her ideas conceived while commuting on the train journey to art school for a story about hedgerow life into a book.[1] Barklem became a full-time illustrator, working on the expanding series of books about the mice of Brambly Hedge. She spent five years on research before she started to write her first stories about them.[2]

The first four books were published in 1980, each representing one of the four seasons.[3] She wrote four more books in the series, the last being published in 1994. Barklem's books became immensely popular, selling over seven million copies worldwide and printed in over 13 languages. The Brambly Hedge characters went on to feature in merchandise, such as Royal Doulton china,[4] and a stop-motion animated series The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge (1996 to 2000).[3]

Family life and death[]

Jill married David Barkleman, an antiques dealer, in 1977. The couple went on to have a son and daughter.[5]

In 1994 she had a successful operation for a brain tumour; however, the subsequent health issues eventually led to her death,[5] in London aged 66, on 15 November 2017.[1]

Works[]

Brambly Hedge series[]

  • (1980)
  • (1980)
  • Autumn Story (1980)
  • Winter Story (1980)
  • The Secret Staircase (1983)
  • The High Hills (1986)
  • Sea Story (1990)
  • Poppy's Babies (1994)

Brambly Hedge Posthumous Adaptations[]

  • Wilfred to the Rescue (2005) "In the spirit of Jill Barklem" Alan MacDonald (Author), Lizzie Sanders, botanical artist[6] (Illustrator)
  • Primrose In Charge (2007)"In the spirit of Jill Barklem" Alan MacDonald (Author), Lizzie Sanders, botanical artist[6] (Illustrator)[7]

Collections[]

  • Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge (1986) contains the 4 seasonal titles and a 20-page "conversation" with the author about the origins and developments of the stories.
  • Tales from Brambly Hedge (1997) contains the other 4 original titles: Staircase, Sea, Hills and Babies.
  • Adventures of the Mice of Brambly Hedge (1998) is a joint publication version of Autumn Story and Sea Story.
  • The Mice of Brambly Hedge Celebrate (1998) is a joint publication version of Winter Story and Secret Staircase.
  • Outings for the Mice of Brambly Hedge (1999) is a joint publication version of Spring Story and The High Hills.
  • Baby Mice in Brambly Hedge (1999) is a joint publication version of Summer Story and Poppie's Babies.
  • A Visit to Brambly Hedge (2000) is a 20th-anniversary special background information book
  • A Year In Brambly Hedge (2010) 40th anniversary. Contains the 4 seasonal titles

Other[]

Activity and "Toy and Moveable" books, include Primrose's Adventure (Brambly Hedge Sliding Pictures) and Wilfred's Birthday Sliding Pictures; some board books, such as House for a Mouse, Nice for Mice, and The Snow Ball; and Poppy and Dusty's Wedding.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Obituaries - Jill Barklem". The Daily Telegraph. 21 November 2017. p. 31.
  2. ^ "Jill Barklem". HarperCollins Australia. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Wallwork, Ellen. "'Brambly Hedge' Creator Jill Barklem Dies Aged 66". Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  4. ^ Audet, Marye. "Brambly Hedge China". LoveToKnow. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jill Barklem obituary". the Guardian. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lizzie Sanders (1944 - 2020)". BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Primrose In Charge". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 30 August 2021.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/29/jill-barklem-obituary

External links[]


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