Illustrator
Quentin Blake was born in the suburbs of London in 1932 and has drawn ever since he can remember.
He studied English at Cambridge, going on to do a postgraduate teaching diploma at the University of London, followed by life-classes at Chelsea Art School.
He has always made his living as an illustrator, as well as teaching for over twenty years at the Royal College of Art. His first drawings were published in Punch while he was 16 and still at school.
He is known for his collaboration with writers such as Russell Hoban, Joan Aiken, Michael Rosen, John Yeoman and, most famously, Roald Dahl. He has also illustrated classic books, both for children and adults, including A Christmas Carol and Candide; and created much-loved characters of his own, such as Mister Magnolia and Mrs Armitage.
Global sales of his books have topped 45 million and have won numerous prizes and awards. In 2004 Quentin Blake was awarded the ‘Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French Government for services to literature. He received a knighthood for ‘services to illustration’ in the New Year’s Honours for 2013, became an Honorary Freeman of the City of London in 2015.
Quentin Blake
