Dick King-Smith

Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE, Hon.MEd (27 March 1922 – 4 January 2011),[1] was a prolific English writer of children's books, primarily using the pen name Dick King-Smith. He is best known for The Sheep-Pig (1983, Babe the Gallant Pig US title). It was adapted as the movie Babe (1995) and translations have been published in fifteen languages.[2] He was awarded an Honorary Master of Education degree by the University of the West of England in 1999[3] and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[4][5] Dick and Myrle had three children – two daughters (Juliet and Lizzie) and one son (Giles). Dick King-Smith's first book, The Foxbusters, was published in 1978.

Dick King-Smith

OBE, Hon.MEd
BornRonald Gordon King-Smith
(1922-03-27)27 March 1922
Bitton, Gloucestershire, England
Died4 January 2011(2011-01-04) (aged 88)
Bath, Somerset, England
Pen nameDick King-Smith
OccupationWriter
NationalityBritish
Period1978–2007
GenreChildren's novels, picture books
Notable worksThe Sheep-Pig, Magnus Powermouse
Notable awardsGuardian Prize
1984
Spouse
Myrle
​
(m. 1943⁠–⁠2000)​
(her death)
Zona Bedding
​
(m. 2001⁠–⁠2011)​
(his death)
Children3
Website
dickkingsmith.com

Life

Dick King-Smith grew up in the West Country, his father was Captain Ronald King-Smith DSO MC, who ran several paper mills. Dick was educated at Beaudesert Park School and Marlborough College.[1] He was a soldier in World War II, serving with the Grenadier Guards in Italy, and a farmer for 20 years before he became a teacher at Farmborough Primary School and author. King-Smith's first book was The Fox Busters, published in 1978 while he was living and teaching in Farmborough. He was one of Britain's most prolific authors and wrote over a hundred books. In later life he lived in Queen Charlton, a small farming village near Bristol, contributing to the maintenance and conservation of the local area as the vice-president of the Avon Wildlife Trust. He married his first wife, Myrle, in 1943. They had three children: Juliet, Giles and Liz.[1] Myrle died in 2000, and King-Smith subsequently married Zona Bedding, a family friend.[6]

He presented a feature on animals on TV-AM's children's programme Rub-a-Dub Tub (1983).[7]

King-Smith died at his home near Bath, Somerset, on 4 January 2011 at the age of 88. He was survived by three children, 14 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.[8]

Awards

King-Smith and The Sheep-Pig won the 1984 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a once-in-a-lifetime book award judged by a panel of British children writers.[9]

Works
  • The Fox Busters (1978)
  • Daggie Dogfoot; US title, Pigs Might Fly (1980)
  • Magnus Powermouse (1982)
  • The Mouse Butcher (1982)
  • The Queen's Nose (1983)
  • The Sheep-Pig (1983); US title, Babe: The Gallant Pig
  • Harry's Mad (1984)
  • Lightning Fred (1985)
  • Saddlebottom (1985)
  • Dumpling (1986)
  • Noah's Brother (1986)
  • The Hodgeheg (1987)
  • Tumbleweed (1987)
  • Country Watch (1987)
  • Town Watch (1987)
  • Farmer Bungle Forgets (1987)
  • Friends and Brothers (1987)
  • Cuckoobush Farm (1987)
  • George Speaks (1988)
  • Emily's Legs (1988)
  • Water Watch (1988)
  • Dodo Comes to Tumbledown Farm (1988)
  • Tumbledown Farm – The Greatest (1988)
  • The Jenius (1988)
  • Martin's Mice (1988)
  • Sophie
    • Sophie's Snail (1988)
    • Sophie's Tom (1991)
    • Sophie Hits Six (1991)
    • Sophie in the Saddle (1993)
    • Sophie is Seven (1994)
    • Sophie's Lucky (1995)
  • Ace (1990)
  • Alice and Flower and Foxianna (1989)
  • Beware of the Bull (1989)
  • The Toby Man (1989)
  • Dodos Are Forever (1989)
  • The Trouble with Edward (1989)
  • Jungle Jingles (1990)
  • Blessu (1990)
  • Paddy's Pot of Gold (1990)
  • Alphabeasts (1990)
  • The Water Horse (1990)
  • The Whistling Piglet (1990)
  • Mrs. Jolly (Series)
    • The Jolly Witch (1990)
    • Mrs. Jollipop (1996)
    • Mrs. Jolly's Brolly (1998)
    • The Jolly Witch Trilogy (2000)
  • The Cuckoo Child (1991) (illustrated by Leslie W. Bowman)
  • The Guard Dog (1991)
  • Lightning Strikes Twice (1991)
  • Caruso's Cool Cats (1991)
  • Dick King-Smith's Triffic Pig Book (1991)
  • Find the White Horse (1991)
  • Horace and Maurice (1991)
  • Lady Daisy (1992)
  • Pretty Polly (1992)
  • Dick King-Smith's Water Watch (1992)
  • The Finger Eater (1992)
  • The Ghost at Codlin Castle and Other Stories (1992)
  • Super Terrific Pigs (1992)
  • The Invisible Dog (1993)
  • All Pigs Are Beautiful (1993)
  • The Merrythought (1993)
  • The Swoose (1993)
  • Uncle Bumpo (1993)
  • Dragon Boy (1993)
  • Horse Pie (1993)
  • Connie and Rollo (1994)
  • The School Mouse (1994)
  • Triffic: A Rare Pig's Tale (1994)
  • Mr. Potter's Pet (1994)
  • Harriet's Hare (1994)
  • The Excitement of Being Ernest (1994)
  • I Love Guinea Pigs (1994)
  • Three Terrible Trins (1994)
  • Happy Mouseday (1994)
  • Bobby the Bad (1994)
  • The Clockwork Mouse (1995)
  • King Max the Last (1995)
  • Omnibombulator (1995)
  • The Terrible Trins (1995)
  • Warlock Watson (1995)
  • All Because of Jackson (1995)
  • The Stray (1996)
  • Clever Duck (1996)
  • Dirty Gertie Macintosh (1996)
  • Smasher (1996)
  • Godhanger (1996)
  • Hogsel and Gruntel (1996)
  • Treasure Trove (1996)
  • Mixed-Up Max (1997)
  • What Sadie Saw (1997)
  • The Spotty Pig (1997)
  • A Mouse Called Wolf (1997)
  • Robin Hood and His Miserable Men (1997)
  • Thinderella (1997)
  • Puppy Love (1997)
  • The Merman (1997)
  • Round About 5 (1997)
  • Mr. Ape (1998)
  • How Green Was My Mouse (1998)
  • The Big Pig Book (1998)
  • Creepy Creatures Bag (1998)
  • The Robber Boy (1998)
  • The Crowstarver (1998)
  • Pig in the City (1999)
  • Poppet (1999)
  • The Witch of Blackberry Bottom (1999)
  • The Roundhill (2000)
  • Spider Sparrow (2000)
  • Just in Time (2000)
  • The Magic Carpet Slippers (2000)
  • Julius Caesar's Goat (2000)
  • Mysterious Miss Slade (2000)
  • Lady Lollipop (2000)
  • The Biography Center (2001)
  • Back to Front Benjy (2001)
  • The Great Sloth Race (2001)
  • Fat Lawrence (2001)
  • Funny Frank (2001)
  • Chewing the Cud (2001) (autobiography)
  • Titus Rules! / Titus Rules OK! (2002)
  • Billy the Bird/All Because of Jackson (2002)
  • Story Box (2002)
  • The Golden Goose (2003)
  • Traffic (2003)
  • Clever Lollipop (2003)
  • The Adventurous Snail (2003)
  • The Nine Lives of Aristotle (2003)
  • Aristotle (2003)
  • Just Binnie (2004)
  • The Catlady (2004)
  • Under the Mishmash Trees (2005)
  • Hairy Hezekiah (2005)
  • Dinosaur Trouble (2005)
  • Nosy (2005)
  • The Mouse Family Robinson (2007)

Adaptations

References
  1. Eccleshare, Julia (5 January 2011). "Dick King-Smith obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  2. "Formats and Editions of The sheep-pig". WorldCat. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. "Honorary Graduates of the University of the West of England". University of the West of England. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  4. "No. 59282". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2009. p. 12.
  5. "Patrick Stewart leads arts honours with a knighthood". BBC News. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  6. "Animal Magic". The Herald (heraldscotland.com). 2 February 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  7. "Rub-a-Dub-Tub". IMDb. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  8. "Babe creator Dick King-Smith dies aged 88". BBC News. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  9. "Guardian children's fiction prize relaunched: Entry details and list of past winners". guardian.co.uk 12 March 2001. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
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