Children's Laureate 1999-2001
Quentin Blake was born in 1932 and studied at Cambridge and Chelsea Art College before becoming an illustrator. His first drawings were published in Punch at the age of 16, and he has since illustrated hundreds of books by many different authors. His best-known collaborations include those with Joan Aiken, Michael Rosen and of course, Roald Dahl. He has won many major prizes for writing and illustration and in 2005 was awarded a CBE for services to Children's Literature.

Quentin was the inaugural Children's Laureate (1999-2001), an experience he recorded in his book Laureate's Progress. During his time in the role, he celebrated children's books and children's book illustration with a range of projects and exhibitions, and conceived the idea for the House of Illustration, the world's first centre dedicated to the art of illustration in all its forms.   

Visit Quentin's website