Hilary Robinson (author)
Encyclopedia
Hilary Robinson is a children’s author
, book reviewer, award winning radio
producer and feature
writer. She is a Patron of The Children's University.
, Nigeria
; Dorset
and Yorkshire
. Her father, P.H.Turner an economist
and a biographer of David Livingstone
established an educational trust and spearheaded the building of a non profit making private school in Zaria, Nigeria, which she attended with other local and overseas children including, theatre director, Rufus Norris
. Her mother is a lecturer in mathematics
with the Open University
.
and Yorkshire Television
and the BBC
's Faith and Ethics Department. She is now a freelance radio producer
.
For six years, until January 2011, she produced BBC Radio 2
’s Good Morning Sunday with Aled Jones
.
Recent BBC radio documentaries include:
To mark the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade Robinson produced Hang A Thousand Trees With Ribbons
– the true story of the published slave Phillis Wheatley
, narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo
, and Private Peaceful
to mark Remembrance
2007 with Robson Green
.
.
She collaborated with illustrator Nick Sharratt
on both Mixed Up Fairy Tales, and Spells and Smells for which she was shortlisted by Nottinghamshire City Council for the Experian Big Three Award in 2002.
Later that year, Ken Livingstone
and the GLC invited her to write Pick It Up – an environmental book featuring litter detectives – which was read at a high profile launch by Sir Richard Attenborough.
The Spanish edition of The Princess's Secret Letters saw the main character, Princess Isabella become renamed as Princess Letitia in recognition of the marriage in 2004 of Letizia Alvarez
, a journalist, to the Spanish Heir Apparent, Felipe, Prince of Asturias
.
She is an occasional book reviewer for Writeaway.
In June 2009 Yorkshire Ridings Magazine published figures released by the Public Lending Rights Office which listed Hilary as No 7 in a list of top twenty authors living in Yorkshire.
, South Africa
as part of an 8 person delegation to celebrate the Durban Book Appeal in which 60,000 donated books from Leeds
were distributed at the Festival of Books, organised by READ (Reading Excellence and Discovery Foundation)
, to resource understocked libraries in schools. She worked in schools and libraries in many of the most deprived townships and attended the opening of the new Hambanathi library.
Hilary is a supporter of, and has worked with, a number of reading initiatives with schools in inner city
areas. She has campaigned against the move to promote age banding on children's books collaborated with authors, illustrators and editors to oppose the war on Iraq and supports author Alan Gibbons'
campaign against cuts to the library service.
, The Times Educational Supplement, The Guardian
, The Independent
, The Yorkshire Post
, Practical Parenting, Primary English, Family History Monthly and other specialist press.
for Religious Programming and was highly commended with an Andrew Cross Award
for D Day – 60 Years On - a live broadcast from Normandy
.
Writing in The Radio Magazine (issue 661) on 11 December 2004 after winning the Gillard Gold, Station Editor John Ryan described Hilary as "one of our secret weapons ... she has the ability to develop really creative treatments that make the religious subjects appeal way beyond the traditional audience for faith programmes."
and Yorkshire. She is a member of the Society of Authors
, The Federation of Children's Books and The Radio Academy.
A keen skier, Hilary is a member of the Downhill Only Club, based in Wengen
, Switzerland
. She is the cousin of Jonathan Luxton, solo horn with the Gulbenkian Orchestra
, Lisbon
.
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, book reviewer, award winning radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
producer and feature
Feature story
- Published Features & news :While the distinction between published features and news is often clear, when approached conceptually there are few hard boundaries between the two. It is quite possible to write a feature in the style of a news story, for instance...
writer. She is a Patron of The Children's University.
Background
The second of four daughters of university lecturers, Robinson grew up during the civil war in ZariaZaria
Zaria may refer to:*Zaria, a city in Kaduna State, Nigeria*Zaria , or Zoria, the Slavic goddess of beauty*Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg, a member of the Dutch royal family...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
; Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. Her father, P.H.Turner an economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and a biographer of David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
established an educational trust and spearheaded the building of a non profit making private school in Zaria, Nigeria, which she attended with other local and overseas children including, theatre director, Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris
Rufus Norris is an award-winning British theatre director who trained as an actor at RADA before turning to directing.In 2001 he won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his production of Afore Night Came at the Young Vic....
. Her mother is a lecturer in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
with the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
Radio producer
Robinson worked at Radio Aire, TV-amTV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
and Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Faith and Ethics Department. She is now a freelance radio producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
.
For six years, until January 2011, she produced BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
’s Good Morning Sunday with Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
.
Recent BBC radio documentaries include:
- The Robeson Files (2011) presented by Dotun AdebayoDotun AdebayoOludotun Adebayo MBE is a Nigerian-born, British-based radio presenter, writer and publisher. He is best known for his work on Up All Night on BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as the obituary programme Brief Lives.- Early life :...
- which looked at the FBI and MI5MI5The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
interest in Paul RobesonPaul RobesonPaul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
- a forerunner of the civil rights movementCivil rights movementThe civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
.
- Behind Enemy Lines (2009) presented by John McCarthy - an examination of the effect of captivity on survivors.
- Turn Your Radio On (2008) presented by Don MacleanDon MacleanDon Maclean is an English actor and comedian, who appeared on the BBC television series Crackerjack with Michael Aspel, Peter Glaze, and Jan Hunt in the 1970s....
– the wit and wisdom of Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
.
- In His Hands (2007) presented by Candi StatonCandi StatonCandi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
- a powerful documentary about music borne out of domestic abuse.
- Lenny Bruce Is DeadLenny Bruce Is DeadLenny Bruce is Dead is the first book by author and radio presenter Jonathan Goldstein. The story follows a lead character, Josh, through various events in his life, including a death in the family and his exploration of sexuality. The novel includes multiple themes, such as love, faith, a...
(2006) presented by Simon Amstell - produced to mark the 40th anniversary of the premature death of one of America's most outspoken and persecuted comedians.
To mark the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade Robinson produced Hang A Thousand Trees With Ribbons
Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons
Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons is a 1996 historical novel by Ann Rinaldi. It is part of the Great Episodes series. The story,told in first-person narration, follows the life of Phillis Wheatley, the first published African-American poet...
– the true story of the published slave Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley was the first African American poet and first African-American woman whose writings were published. Born in Gambia, Senegal, she was sold into slavery at age seven...
, narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Sophie Okonedo
Sophie Okonedo
Sophie Okonedo, OBE is a British actress, who has starred both in successful British and American productions. In 1991, she made her acting debut in the British critically acclaimed coming-of-age drama, Young Soul Rebels...
, and Private Peaceful
Private Peaceful
Private Peaceful is a novel for older children by Michael Morpurgo, first published in 2003. It is about a soldier called Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who is looking back on his life from the trenches of World War I. Structurally, each chapter of the book brings the reader closer to the present until...
to mark Remembrance
Remembrance Sunday
In the United Kingdom, 'Remembrance Sunday' is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November Armistice Day. It is the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m...
2007 with Robson Green
Robson Green
Robson Green is an English actor, singer–songwriter and presenter.-Biography:Robson Golightly Green was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and baptised in Bethel Chapel, , and named in Northeast tradition as first son after family surnames: Robson is his grandmother's maiden surname, while Golightly...
.
Children's author
The author of over 40 books her first book, written to help her young daughter cope with a fear of spiders, Sarah The Spider, was published in 1995. The following year the sequel, Sarah The Spider, Prima Spiderina was short-listed for Best Picture Book by the English AssociationEnglish Association
The English Association is a British association dedicated to furthering the study of English language and literature in schools, higher education institutes and amongst the public in general....
.
She collaborated with illustrator Nick Sharratt
Nick Sharratt
Nick Sharratt is a British illustrator and author of children's books, and was chosen to be the Official Illustrator for World Book Day 2006...
on both Mixed Up Fairy Tales, and Spells and Smells for which she was shortlisted by Nottinghamshire City Council for the Experian Big Three Award in 2002.
Later that year, Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
and the GLC invited her to write Pick It Up – an environmental book featuring litter detectives – which was read at a high profile launch by Sir Richard Attenborough.
The Spanish edition of The Princess's Secret Letters saw the main character, Princess Isabella become renamed as Princess Letitia in recognition of the marriage in 2004 of Letizia Alvarez
Letizia, Princess of Asturias
Letizia, Princess of Asturias , is the wife of Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the heir apparent to the Spanish throne...
, a journalist, to the Spanish Heir Apparent, Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Felipe, Prince of Asturias de Borbón y de Grecia; born 30 January 1968), is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain....
.
She is an occasional book reviewer for Writeaway.
In June 2009 Yorkshire Ridings Magazine published figures released by the Public Lending Rights Office which listed Hilary as No 7 in a list of top twenty authors living in Yorkshire.
Campaigns
In September 2003 Robinson visited DurbanDurban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
as part of an 8 person delegation to celebrate the Durban Book Appeal in which 60,000 donated books from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
were distributed at the Festival of Books, organised by READ (Reading Excellence and Discovery Foundation)
Reading Excellence and Discovery Foundation
Reading Excellence and Discovery Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1999 by Al Sikes. The program was first conducted at two parochial schools in 2000. The READ foundation was created in light of the high proportion of children in New York City from low-income...
, to resource understocked libraries in schools. She worked in schools and libraries in many of the most deprived townships and attended the opening of the new Hambanathi library.
Hilary is a supporter of, and has worked with, a number of reading initiatives with schools in inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
areas. She has campaigned against the move to promote age banding on children's books collaborated with authors, illustrators and editors to oppose the war on Iraq and supports author Alan Gibbons'
Alan Gibbons
Alan Gibbons is an author of children's books and a Blue Peter Book Award. He currently lives in Liverpool, England, where he used to teach in a primary school. His father was a farm laborer, but was hurt in an accident when Alan was eight years old. The family had to move to Crewe, Cheshire...
campaign against cuts to the library service.
Festival Appearances
Hilary has appeared at the Harrogate International Festival, the Edinburgh Children's Book Festival, the North of England Children's Book Festival, the Swansea Book Festival and the Sheffield Book Festival.Journalism
Robinson has written features for The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, The Times Educational Supplement, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, The Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
, Practical Parenting, Primary English, Family History Monthly and other specialist press.
Radio Awards
In 2004 she won the Gillard Gold AwardFrank Gillard Awards
The Frank Gillard Awards are awards for BBC Local Radio stations in the UK. They are named after Frank Gillard who initiated the BBC's local radio network...
for Religious Programming and was highly commended with an Andrew Cross Award
Andrew Cross Award
The Andrew Cross Awards were one of the UK's awards for religious journalism. They were awarded annually by the Churches' Media Council, an association which brought together churches, broadcasters, broadcasting authorities and media educators in celebrating and encouraging the best in...
for D Day – 60 Years On - a live broadcast from Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Writing in The Radio Magazine (issue 661) on 11 December 2004 after winning the Gillard Gold, Station Editor John Ryan described Hilary as "one of our secret weapons ... she has the ability to develop really creative treatments that make the religious subjects appeal way beyond the traditional audience for faith programmes."
Personal
Hilary lives and works in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Yorkshire. She is a member of the Society of Authors
Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a trade union for professional writers that was founded in 1884 to protect the rights of writers and fight to retain those rights .It has counted amongst its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets including Tennyson The Society of Authors (UK) is a...
, The Federation of Children's Books and The Radio Academy.
A keen skier, Hilary is a member of the Downhill Only Club, based in Wengen
Wengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. She is the cousin of Jonathan Luxton, solo horn with the Gulbenkian Orchestra
Gulbenkian Orchestra
The Gulbenkian Orchestra is a Portuguese symphony orchestra based in Lisbon. The orchestra primarily gives concerts at the Grande Auditório of the Gulbenkian Foundation....
, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
Contacts
Hilary Robinson is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor Ltd Literary Agency (London) and Christina O'Connor - Media Guru (Manchester).Books
- 1995 Sarah the Spider
- 1995 Sarah the Spider Prima Spiderina
- Learning English With Ozmo
- 1999 E-mail: Jesus@Bethlehem
- 1999 Sarah the Spider and the Barn Dancers
- 1999 Sarah the Spider’s Christmas Surprise
- 2000 Mr. Spotty’s Potty
- 2000 Spells and Smells
- 2002 Freddie’s Fears
- 2002 Pick it Up (The Green Gang)
- 2002 The Green Gang - Raffy’s Party
- 2002 Scrapman Stan And The Magical Mixer Fixer
- 2003 E-mail: Jesus@Anytime
- 2003 Flynn Flies High
- 2003 Pippin’s Big Jump
- 2004 Batty Betty’s Spells
- 2004 How to Teach a Dragon Manners
- 2004 Mixed Up Fairy Tales
- 2005 Cinder Wellie
- 2005 Croc by the Rock (also Big Book edition)
- 2005 Pet to School Day
- 2005 Rapunzel
- 2005 The Frog Prince
- 2005 The Princess’s Secret Letters
- 2006 Aladdin and the Lamp
- 2006 Over the Moon!
- 2006 The Little Match Girl
- 2006 The Royal Jumble Sale
- 2007 Pocahontas the Peacemaker
- 2007 The Princess’s Secret Sleepover
- 2008 Goldilocks and the Wolf
- 2008 Snow White and the Enormous Turnip (also Big Book edition)
- 2008 The Elves and the Emperor
- 2009 Ted’s Party Bus
- 2009 Three Pigs and a Gingerbread Man
- 2010 The Big Book of Magical Mix-Ups
- 2011 Hurray! It’s Book Day
- 2012 Mixed Up Nursery Rhymes
External links
- Hilary's website: http://www.hilaryrobinson.co.uk
- Hilary's profile on the Children's University website: http://www.childrensuniversity.co.uk/about-us/about-us---CU-Patrons3/