Patrick Benson

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Patrick Benson was born in 1956 and educated at Eton College before studying classical drawing in Florence and attending Chelsea Art School and St Martins School of Art. He worked in the fashion business until a chance meeting with the sister of Walker Books' founder, Sebastian Walker, led him into a career in illustration.

In 1984, his illustrations for The Book of Hob Stories by William Mayne won the Mother Goose Award for the most promising newcomer in children's book illustration. He is best known for illustrating two modern classics: Owl Babies, written by Martin Waddell, and The Minpins by Roald Dahl.

Patrick’s latest books are North, written by Nick Dowson, and Shadow by Robie Harris. North tells the story of animals who migrate north to spend their summer in the Arctic. This is the largest and most extraordinary migration in nature and is beautifully captured in Patrick’s stunning illustrations. Shadow, magically illustrates all the fun and mystery in the relationship between child and shadow.

Patrick loves flyfishing, and has illustrated Fly Fishing by J. R. Hartley, from the Yellow Pages Television commercial.

Books illustrated by Patrick Benson

The Minpins, by Roald Dahl (Puffin)
Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell (Walker Books)
The Tough Princess, by Martin Waddell (Walker Books)
The Little Boat, by Kathy Henderson (Walker Books)
The Book of Hob Stories, by William Mayne (Candlewick Press, US)
Squeak's Good Idea, by Max Eilenberg (Walker Books)
Moby Dick: Walker Illustrated Classics, by Herman Melville, adapted by Jan Needle (Walker Books)
Tales of the Willows series, by William Horwood (HarperCollins)
It's a Dog's Life, by Michael Morpurgo (Egmont)
Mole and Baby Bird, by Marjorie Newman (Bloomsbury)
North: the Greatest Animal Journey on Earth, by Nick Dowson (Walker)
Shadow, by Robie Harris (Brubaker, Ford and Friends)

For more information about Patrick Benson please visit:

www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/magicpencil/benson.html or ...

www.walker.co.uk, www.puffin.co.uk , www.egmont.co.uk, www.bloomsbury.com, www.templarco.co.uk, www.harpercollins.co.uk