Catherine & Laurence Anholt

As a child

Catherine comes from an Irish family, but grew up in rural Gloucestershire. Her father was a potter and her mother a nurse. She was one of eight brothers and sisters. She describes her childhood as being a lot like Cider with Rosie and, in fact, Laurie Lee lived close by. Laurence lived in Holland until he was nine. His school days were not a huge success. “My maths was 2 + 1 = 6-ish,” he says, “and my spelling wuz even wurs! BUT I loved writing stories and drawing and had lots of weirdly wonderful ideas.”

As an adult

After a brief nursing career, Catherine found her true vocation as an artist at Falmouth School of Art in Cornwall, where she also met Laurence. She went to the Royal College of Art, where she was awarded an MA. Laurence claims to have a butterfly mind, which might explain the rather confusing list of early jobs: hotel night receptionist, carpenter, school teacher, art lecturer. He has also sold encyclopedias and tropical fish! Laurence studied painting for eight years and finished with a Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Art. They both now live in a rambling farmhouse in the woods, above the sea in Lyme Regis in Dorset.

As an artist

Catherine and Laurence have produced around ninety children’s books that are published in twenty-three languages around the world, and have won numerous awards, including the Nestlé Smarties Gold Award for Chimp and Zee.

Things you didn't know about Catherine & Laurence Anholt