Michael Morpurgo

Michael answers your questions . . .

Where do you get your ideas for books from?
From all around me. Places, people, stories I hear, little happenings, big happenings, history. I keep my eyes and ears open, my heart fresh.

How many books have you written?
Over one hundred. Private Peaceful was the hundredth. Sound a lot but that's fat ones, thin ones. All sorts.

Where do you write?
On my bed where I'm most comfortable. I pile the pillows up behind me, settle back and write by hand with my exercise book on my knees.

Are the stories true?
With each one there is an element of truth. I weave different truths into the same story to make another kind of truth. So with Kensuke's Kingdom, there was a Japanese soldier who decided to stay behind on an island after WW2, and people do hunt orangutans, kill the parents and kidnap their young, and people do sail around the world on yachts, and sometimes they fall overboard . . .

What was your first book?
Shan't tell you, because it wasn't much good.

What is the favourite book that you have written?
The Butterfly Lion or Kensuke's Kingdom or War Horse or Private Peaceful.

Who's your favourite author?
Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island), Rudyard Kipling (The Just So Stories) and Ted Hughes (The Iron Man).

How long does it take to write a book?
It depends on how well I'm writing, how well it's flowing. But I usually spend several months dreaming it up in my head - I call it my 'dreamtime', the most important part of my story inventing when I try to weave the story together, do my research and find the right voice for the story. Once I begin writing, I write very fast and will finish a book in two or three months. Then revising it might take another month. So, on average, a novel takes upwards of 6 months to write.

 

Students who reviewed Michael Murpurgo Books:

Poll

Which Michael Murpurgo book is your favourite?

War Horse (19)
Farm Boy (18)
Other (16)

Total votes: 812

The Last Wolf - Reviewed by Darragh Croarkin

I read the book The Last Wolf. It was written by Michael Murpurgo and illustrated by Michael Foreman. The story took place in a forest house and in the mountains. The main characters were Grandpa, Michael and Miya. My favourite character was Grandpa because he was adventurous and funny. It's about a boy who tries to find the last wolf after his parents die. I enjoyed this book because it was exciting, interesting and amusing. I would give it 10 out of 10.

Mossop's Last Chance - Reviewed by Szymon Polewski (2nd Class)

The name of my book is Mossop's Last Chance. It was written by Michael Morpurgo. Once there was a cat called Mossop. He was very old. One day the farmer called Mr. Rafferty saw a lot of mice and rats. He told the cat to catch 26 mice or leave the farm forever. My favourite part of the story was when the animals on the farm told the mice and rats to line up. I would give this book 10 out of 10 because it was funny and made me laugh.

Toro Toro - Reviewed by Mark McManus (2nd Class)

I read Toro Toro by Michael Morpurgo. It had lots of hard words like paroxysm and empathise. It was all about the history of Spain. My favourite character was Paco the Bull.

Jigger's Day Off - Reviewed by Matthew Mc Gonnell

I read the book Jigger's Day Off. It was written by Michael Morpurgo. This story is about a dog called Jigger who lives on a farm with loads of animals. He only gets one day off a year.  Read this book to find out why everyone is afraid of Old Thunder. The main characters in this book were Jigger, Farmer Rafferty, Old Thunder and Primrose. I liked this book because it was interesting and it made me laugh. I would award it 10 out of 10.