Author Dame Julia Donaldson, best known for The Gruffalo, has been made a dame in the King's Birthday Honours for services to literature. The 77-year-old former children's laureate described the recognition as a “very happy surprise” and used the occasion to urge the Government to provide “more libraries and more librarians in our communities and schools” so children can experience the joys of reading.
Dame Julia, who has written over 200 books including The Snail And The Whale, Room On The Broom, Zog, Stick Man, Tiddler, The Scarecrows' Wedding, and The Highway Rat, has sold more than 50 million books worldwide. Last year, she surpassed Harry Potter author JK Rowling as the UK's all-time top author in terms of units sold.
She attributes much of her success to her childhood library and the librarian who nurtured her love of reading. “Going back further, perhaps my biggest debt of all is to the library which was in walking distance of my childhood home and the librarian who helped me discover the books and authors that I came to love,” she said. “Without that place and person I probably would never have become a children's writer – let alone a dame.”
Early Life and Career
Born in London in 1948, Dame Julia studied drama and French at Bristol University, where she met her future husband, medical student Malcolm Donaldson. The couple busked together during holidays, and after graduating, she worked in publishing and at a local radio station before teaching English in a secondary school. They married in 1972 and often performed in folk clubs.
Her big break came when she sent a tape of her songs to the BBC, which led to writing songs for children's television. In 1993, one of her songs, A Squash And A Squeeze, was turned into a book. Six years later, The Gruffalo was published, making her a household name.
Collaboration with Axel Scheffler
A Squash And A Squeeze marked the first of many collaborations with German illustrator Axel Scheffler, with whom she has produced over 20 titles. Their next book, Gruffalo Granny, is set for release in September, more than 20 years after the sequel The Gruffalo's Child (2004). The announcement in April 2025 revealed that Dame Julia was inspired by a campaign to reverse declining children's reading rates and that the book reflects her being a “big fan of grandmotherhood.”
The original Gruffalo and its sequel have sold over 18 million copies combined and been translated into 115 languages and dialects.
Other Works and Adaptations
Dame Julia is also behind the What The Ladybird Heard series, illustrated by Lydia Monks, the Princess Mirror-Belle series, as well as poems, plays, and songs. Animations of her books with Scheffler have become a BBC Christmas tradition, starting with The Gruffalo in 2009. Many of her books have been adapted for the stage; The Gruffalo production will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End. Meanwhile, The Smartest Giant In Town will return to the West End at Christmas for a run at St Martin's Theatre.
