Judy Hindley

As a child

My favourite things were reading, pretending, and climbing trees. I frequently combined them by reading my book while up a tree. I loved putting on plays with friends and making secret camps and tree houses. I grew up in a small town where we could find good places for our secret camps, and we would often take picnics out of town on our bicycles.

As an adult

I went to university in a big city, far from home, which was very exciting. I married an Englishman (I was born in America), and had two children, John and Anna, who are my great friends. I was very happy when I started working on children’s books because although it can be very hard work, sometimes it’s just like making things up – except that you get something real in the end. I work a lot with other people on ideas on how to save the Earth and make it a better place for those who are hungry and left out; this is how I’ve met most of my best friends, and we have enormous fun together.

As an artist

I was determined to be a writer from about the age of ten – I loved books and stories and playing around with words. I’ve now written more than fifty books, many in verse – which I enjoy tremendously – and about different sorts of subject matter, from spies to string. I think stories are the hardest things to write, and I admire people who can dream up good plots. This is a great difficulty for me, and I’m very proud of the very few I’ve managed to find! I find that the best way to work is to concentrate very hard for the first part of the day, and then go out and walk and walk, giving the wordy part of my mind a chance to fill up again.

Things you didn't know about Judy Hindley

1. I can do an incredibly scary witch laugh.
2. I wrote and produced my first play when I was 11.
3. It was called The Witch’s Chant.
4. I was the witch.
5. Among my friends, I am famous for cookies.
6. I have more than 100 relatives.
7. Every four or five years, all of my relatives have a family reunion, camping out together for a long weekend.
8. I love to sing harmonies, especially with my brothers and sisters, around the fire at our camp-out.
9. The town I live in is 800 years old.
10. Some of the rooms in my home are 700 years old.