Margaret Chamberlain

As a child

Margaret grew up in Weybridge, and played by the River Thames – always making up games and telling stories to her big brother. The pictures she drew always contained people, families and animals. Her dolls and teddy bears became characters in invented dramas. She did a lot of sewing and made good outfits for them. When she got older, she copied the work of many artists – the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, as well as those of Ronald Searle. One minute she was quiet and the next she would not stop chatting. She hated her piano lessons.

As an adult

Margaret was always being told off for not working hard at school, but luckily her talent for drawing saved her and she got into art school (when all her academic classmates went to university). Since leaving the Royal College of Art, she has made a living illustrating numerous books for children of all ages. She has lived in London, Bath and now lives close to the sea in Lyme Regis with her husband, illustrator Jan Dicks. They decided not to have children as Margaret really wanted to carry on working. Also, she feels it keeps her from growing up. When she isn’t working, she loves sewing, knitting, painting patterns onto furniture, reading novels, listening endlessly to Radio 4 and travelling.

As an artist

Margaret first illustrated a book while still at the RCA. One of her advantages was the inability to turn anything down and so has illustrated numerous books – one of the most successful was called The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate, which is still a bestseller after 20 years. Her best award is Most Valued Person Award, which came from the American Motorcycles Association for drawing pictures of a trail bike in A Busy Day for a Good Grandmother. She loves to draw dogs and has now illustrated many funny dog books, especially little white ones with a black patch. She was once offered a job at an animation company to do the backgrounds, because she is so good at creating details and crowded rooms, and cupboards full of stuff.

Things you didn't know about Margaret Chamberlain

1. Margaret has one blue eye and one brown eye.
2. She loves having bonfires/climbing trees.
3. She used to get told off in class for making her best friend giggle.
4. She likes lying in a cornfield listening to larks sing.
5. She wishes she could dance, especially rock’n’roll.
6. She likes going to pantomimes so she can have a good shout.
7. She can knit at the same time as reading a book.
8. She likes all sorts of shopping but doesn’t like carrying it home.
9. If she won the lottery, she’d have a private jet and a personal chef.
10. Her favourite animal is a lamb or a sheep with a black face.