Quentin Blake

Sir Quentin Blake is one of Britain's most successful illustrators and children's authors. He was born in 1932, reading English at Cambridge, then studying teaching at the University of London, and life classes at Chelsea Art School. He has always made his living as an illustrator, as well as teaching for over twenty years at The Royal College of Art, where he was head of the Illustration department from 1978 to 1986.

He has illustrated nearly 300 books and is the major illustrator for Roald Dahl books, including The BFG, The Witches, Matilda and Esio Trot, all of which have won major prizes. He has also written and illustrated his own books, for which he has also won awards. He was awarded an OBE in 1988, and a CBE in 2005, for services to Children's Literature.

In 1990, he was voted "The Illustrator's Illustrator" by Observer Magazine and in 1999, was appointed the first ever Children's Laureate, a post designed to raise the profile of children's literature. He has also won the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration. Blake was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours for his services to illustration. In March 2014 he was awarded the insignia of Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur at a ceremony at the Institut Français in London