Jill Murphy

Jill Murphy is a highly acclaimed children's fiction author, best known for her "The Worst Witch" series and the "Large Family" picture books. Born in London to an Irish engineer and a book-loving mother, Murphy developed an early interest in storytelling and illustrating. By the time she was two years old, she was already drawing shapes on sheets of paper provided by her mother. Her mother, a book enthusiast, encouraged Murphy's creativity and kept all her scrapbooks, which she still has to this day.

Murphy's time at the Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon, as well as the boarding school stories she enjoyed reading, provided much of the material and inspiration for "The Worst Witch." She started writing the book when she was 15, but put it on hold as she attended both Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools. She continued to work on the book while living in a village in Togo, West Africa, and later while working as a nanny in London. The book was published when Murphy was 24 and became an instant success. However, she continued working as a nanny until the publication of "The Worst Witch Strikes Again" prompted her to become a full-time writer.

Murphy's "The Worst Witch" series has become some of the most successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list, selling over 3 million copies and being adapted into a major ITV series. In addition to her "The Worst Witch" series, Murphy is also well known for her picture books. She was commended in the 1980 Kate Greenaway Medal for "Peace at Last" and was shortlisted for the same medal in 1994 for "A Quiet Night In." Her "Mr and Mrs Large" picture books, which detail the domestic chaos of an elephant family, have been highly successful. "Five Minute's Peace" won the 1987 Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award and was shortlisted for the 1986 Children's Book Award. "All in One Piece" was highly commended for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the 1987 Children's Book Award. "The Last Noo-noo" won the 0-5 category of the 1995 Smarties Book Prize and in the same year was shortlisted for the English 4-11 Outstanding Children's Book of the Year, going on to win the 1996 Sheffield Children's Book Award. It won the 1996 Gateshead Gold Award and was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.
The Large Family Books
# Title Year
1 Peace At Last 1980
2 Five Minutes' Peace 1986
3 All in One Piece 1987
4 A Piece of Cake 1989
5 A Quiet Night In 1994
6 Mr. Large in Charge 2005
7 Lester Learns a Lesson 2008
8 Laura Bakes A Cake 2008
9 Luke Tidies Up 2008
10 Lucy Meets Mr Chilly 2008
11 Sebastian's Sleepover 2009
12 Grandpa in Trouble 2009
13 My First Year at Nursery 2017
The Worst Witch Books
# Title Year
1 The Worst Witch 1974
2 The Worst Witch Strikes Again 1982
3 A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch 1987
4 The Worst Witch All at Sea / The Worst Witch at Sea 1995
5 The Worst Witch Saves the Day 1999
6 The Worst Witch to the Rescue 2007
7 The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star 2013
8 Fun With the Worst Witch 2014
9 First Prize for the Worst Witch 2018
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 Geoffrey Strangeways 1985
2 Worlds Apart 1990
3 Dear Hound 2009
Picture Books
# Title Year
1 My Teddy 1973
2 Whatever Next! 1983
3 What Next, Baby Bear? 1983
4 On the Way Home 1984
5 The Last Noo-Noo 1995
6 All for One 2002
7 Mother Knows Best! 2012
8 Meltdown! 2016
9 Just One of Those Days 2020