Photo of Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo discovered his talent for writing while working as a teacher. “We had to read the children a story every day and my lot were bored by the book I was reading. I decided I had to do something and told them the kind of story I used to tell my kids – it was like a soap opera, and they focused on it. I could see there was magic in it for them, and realised there was magic in it for me.”

Living in Devon, listening to Mozart, and working with children have provided most of the stimulae Michael needs to discover and write his stories. He spends about half his life mucking out sheds with the children, feeding sheep or milking cows; the other half he spends dreaming up and writing stories. “For me, the greater part of writing is daydreaming, dreaming the dream of my story until it hatches out – the writing down of it I always find hard. But I love finishing it, then holding the book in my hand and sharing my dream with my readers.”

Books by Michael Morpurgo

  • Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

    Alone on a Wide Wide Sea

  • A Medal for Leroy

    A Medal for Leroy

  • A Medal for Leroy

    A Medal for Leroy

  • A Medal for Leroy

    A Medal for Leroy

  • An Eagle in the Snow

    An Eagle in the Snow

  • An Elephant in the Garden

    An Elephant in the Garden

  • An Elephant in the Garden

    An Elephant in the Garden

  • Animal Tales

    Animal Tales

  • Arthur, High King of Britain

    Arthur, High King of Britain

  • Arthur, High King of Britain

  • Barrington Stoke 4u2read: Wartman

    Barrington Stoke 4u2read: Wartman

  • Barrington Stoke 4u2read: Wartman

    Barrington Stoke 4u2read: Wartman

  • Barrington Stoke 4u2read: Who's a Big Bully Then?

    Barrington Stoke 4u2read: Who's a Big Bully Then?

  • Beauty and the Beast

    Beauty and the Beast

  • Beowulf

    Beowulf

  • Billy the Kid

    Billy the Kid

  • Black Queen

    Black Queen

  • Black Queen

    Black Queen

  • Born to Run

    Born to Run

  • Born to Run

    Born to Run

  • Boy Giant

    Boy Giant

  • Boy Giant

    Boy Giant

  • Cockadoodle-doo, Mr Sultana!

    Cockadoodle-doo, Mr Sultana!

  • Coming Home (Early Reader)

    Coming Home (Early Reader)

  • Conker

    Conker

  • Cool!

    Cool!

  • Cool as a Cucumber

    Cool as a Cucumber

  • Dear Olly

    Dear Olly

  • Escape from Shangri-La

    Escape from Shangri-La

  • Escape from Shangri-La

    Escape from Shangri-La

  • Farm Boy

    Farm Boy

  • Farm Boy

    Farm Boy

  • Flamingo Boy

    Flamingo Boy

  • Fox Friend

    Fox Friend

  • Friend or Foe

    Friend or Foe

  • Friend or Foe

    Friend or Foe

  • From Hereabout Hill

    From Hereabout Hill

  • Grandpa Christmas

    Grandpa Christmas

  • Grandpa Christmas

    Grandpa Christmas

  • Half a Man

    Half a Man

  • Half a Man

    Half a Man

  • Hansel and Gretel

    Hansel and Gretel

  • Homecoming

    Homecoming

  • I Believe in Unicorns

    I Believe in Unicorns

  • I Believe in Unicorns

    I Believe in Unicorns

  • I Believe in Unicorns: Book and CD

    I Believe in Unicorns: Book and CD

  • It's a Dog's Life

    It's a Dog's Life

  • Kaspar, Prince of Cats

    Kaspar, Prince of Cats

  • Kaspar, Prince of Cats

    Kaspar, Prince of Cats

  • Katerina the Cat and Other Tales from the Farm

    Katerina the Cat and Other Tales from the Farm

  • Kensuke's Kingdom

    Kensuke's Kingdom

  • Kensuke's Kingdom

    Kensuke's Kingdom

  • Kensuke's Kingdom

    Kensuke's Kingdom

  • Listen to the Moon

    Listen to the Moon

  • Little Foxes

    Little Foxes

  • Little Manfred

    Little Manfred

  • Little Manfred

    Little Manfred

  • Lucky Button

    Lucky Button

  • Meeting Cezanne

    Meeting Cezanne

  • Michael Morpurgo Christmas Stories

    Michael Morpurgo Christmas Stories

  • Mr Skip

    Mr Skip

  • Mr Skip

    Mr Skip

  • Mudpuddle Farm: Alien Invasion!

    Mudpuddle Farm: Alien Invasion!

  • Mudpuddle Farm: Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

    Mudpuddle Farm: Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

  • Mudpuddle Farm: Hee-Haw Hooray!

    Mudpuddle Farm: Hee-Haw Hooray!

  • Mudpuddle Farm: Pigs Might Fly

    Mudpuddle Farm: Pigs Might Fly

  • My Father is a Polar Bear

    My Father is a Polar Bear

  • My Friend Walter

    My Friend Walter

  • My Friend Walter

    My Friend Walter

  • Not Bad for a Bad Lad

    Not Bad for a Bad Lad

  • Of Lions and Unicorns

    Of Lions and Unicorns

  • Outlaw

    Outlaw

  • Out of the Ashes

    Out of the Ashes

  • Pinocchio

    Pinocchio

  • Poppy Field

    Poppy Field

  • Poppy Field

    Poppy Field

  • Private Peaceful

    Private Peaceful

  • Private Peaceful

    Private Peaceful

  • Puffin Keeper

    Puffin Keeper

  • Red Eyes at Night

    Red Eyes at Night

  • Running Wild

    Running Wild

  • Running Wild

    Running Wild

  • Shadow

    Shadow

  • Shadow

    Shadow

  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

  • Snakes and Ladders

    Snakes and Ladders

  • Snakes and Ladders

    Snakes and Ladders

  • Snow Tales

    Snow Tales

  • Snow Tales

    Snow Tales

  • Song of Gladness

    Song of Gladness

  • Sparrow

    Sparrow

  • The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

    The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

  • The Birthday Duck

    The Birthday Duck

  • The Butterfly Lion

    The Butterfly Lion

  • The Butterfly Lion

    The Butterfly Lion

  • The Dancing Bear

    The Dancing Bear

  • The Fox and the Ghost King

    The Fox and the Ghost King

  • The Fox and the Ghost King

    The Fox and the Ghost King

  • The Ghost of Grania O'Malley

    The Ghost of Grania O'Malley

  • The Giant’s Necklace

    The Giant’s Necklace

  • The Kites Are Flying!

    The Kites Are Flying!

  • The Last Wolf

    The Last Wolf

  • The Michael Morpurgo Collection: Ages 7-9

    The Michael Morpurgo Collection: Ages 7-9

  • The Mozart Question

    The Mozart Question

  • The Nine Lives of Montezuma

    The Nine Lives of Montezuma

  • The Sandman and the Turtles

    The Sandman and the Turtles

  • The Sandman and the Turtles

    The Sandman and the Turtles

  • The Sleeping Sword

    The Sleeping Sword

  • The Snowman

    The Snowman

  • The Snowman

    The Snowman

  • The War of Jenkins' Ear

    The War of Jenkins' Ear

  • The White Horse of Zennor

    The White Horse of Zennor

  • The White Horse of Zennor and Other Stories

    The White Horse of Zennor and Other Stories

  • The Wreck of the Zanzibar

    The Wreck of the Zanzibar

  • The Wreck of the Zanzibar

    The Wreck of the Zanzibar

  • This Morning I Met a Whale

    This Morning I Met a Whale

  • This Morning I Met a Whale

    This Morning I Met a Whale

  • Tom's Sausage Lion

    Tom's Sausage Lion

  • Tom's Sausage Lion

    Tom's Sausage Lion

  • Toro! Toro!

    Toro! Toro!

  • Twist of Gold

    Twist of Gold

  • Waiting for Anya

    Waiting for Anya

  • War Horse

    War Horse

  • War Horse

    War Horse

  • War Horse

    War Horse

  • War Horse

    War Horse

  • War Horse

    War Horse

  • When Fishes Flew

    When Fishes Flew

  • Why the Whales Came

    Why the Whales Came

  • Wild At Heart

    Wild At Heart

Awards

Michael was the Children’s Laureate 2003-2005, and has won many awards including The Whitbread Prize For The Wreck of the Zanzibar, the Smarties prize for The Butterfly Lion the Blue Peter Award for Private Peaceful and the Red House award for Shadow.