News about Michael Morpurgo

During a five-decade career, the author, 80, has published hundreds of books. However, Sir Michael has confessed to being put off reading for more than a decade after starting at school and discovering that spelling and punctuation was crucial. He was on BBC Radio 4's Today show this morning to encourage the government to invest more in books and reading for children under the age of seven. 'I left home at the age of five and went to a primary school, and thought I was walking into more stories and more fun,' he said. No, no no no.' When it came, the characters were used, and you had to spell them out and punctuate, and this put me off for about 12, 13 years.' In a career that spans five decades, Michael Morpurgo, 80, has written hundreds of books. However, he has confessed to avoiding reading for more than a decade after starting at school and finding that spelling and punctuation was crucial. Sir Michael as a youth; the animatronic horse in the author's 1982 novel War Horse's stage version.

Michael Morpurgo, a warhorse writer who spent a large portion of her childhood in Zimbabwe and was the youngest Ever Companion of Oxford's All Souls College, is the ideal successor to Tolkien and Philip Pullman. Katherine Rundell spoke about the effect losing her foster sister when she was just ten years old on her life and work on Radio 4 Private Passions in 2022, saying it was "the greatest, lasting tragedy of my life." (Pictured: Katherine Rundell)

Martin Miles had plied a pupil with alcohol before requesting him to sit in his lap while annoyed and urged him to watch pornography, according to the panel. The hearing was also told that the pupil attempted to sexually assault the baby in the bath and that on another occasion he had pulled down his trousers 'for punishment,' with the panel finding that he had done so 'for his own sexual pleasure.'

After 1,425 years of only males teaching the position, the UK's oldest school has welcomed its first female head teacher. In September, Jude Lowson will begin at The King's School, Canterbury, whose ex-pupils include David Gower, Michael Morpurgo, and Christopher Marlowe. The school was established in 597 AD by the first Archbishop of Canterbury and now stands in the precincts of the city's historic Cathedral, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. After more than 1,400 years of boys only being accepted in the 1970s, the first girls were admitted to the sixth form in the 1970s, when they later became fully co-educational in 1990.

For the first time in history, teachers at the country's oldest school are going on strike. Bosses at King's School in Canterbury, who was established in 597AD, are likely to walk out next week in a pension dispute. Teachers have notified members of the National Education Union, who represents teachers, who have declared their intention to protest after staff were consulted by the school.

EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Prince Andrew spent £7.5 million on repairs and renovations on his own property after being granted a 75-year lease on Royal Lodge in 2003. As a result, the Crown Estate waived any rent due for the remainder of his tenure. And if he resigns the lease before 2028, the Crown Estate is liable to compensate him for the Lodge's capital outlay.

Rizwan Sami, 37, defrauded Egmont UK Ltd for more than a year and gave some of the funds to elderly relatives in Pakistan. Egmont UK Ltd, the Danish media behemoth, is also the publisher for Thomas & Friends and Michael Morpurgo. Sami wore a red puffer jacket and a blue surgical face mask at Southwark Crown Court (pictured) this morning.