Judith Kerr in Conversation

Discover the person and the process behind these children's cat classics

Illustrator and author Judith Kerr is creator of some of the best loved children's books of all time. The Tiger Who Came to Tea, the Mog series and her autobiographical novel When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit have engaged generations of children and remain as popular as ever. 

Join Judith in conversation with her art editor Ian Craig as they talk about her work and the process behind these wonderful classics.

For ages 12+. This event is aimed at an adult audience but children are welcome to attend. Judith will not be signing books on the day, but free signed bookplates will be available for you to take home.

Judith Kerr was born in Berlin in 1923. Her family escaped from Hitler’s Germany in 1933 when she was nine years old. Judith’s father was a drama critic and distinguished writer whose books were burned by the Nazis when he spoke out against the regime. The day after the family left Berlin, the authorities came to arrest them, and throughout the war there was a price on her father’s head. Judith and her family travelled through Switzerland and France before finally arriving in England in 1936. Judith wrote about her experiences in her classic autobiographical story, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.

In addition to the trilogy Out of the Hitler Time (which comprises When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Bombs on Aunt Dainty and A Small Person Far Away), Judith is renowned for her feline creation, Mog. This enduringly popular character has charmed generations of children and has starred in a whole stream of books. Mog books have featured on bestseller lists for the past 30 years and have sold over 4 million copies. Judith's latest book is Mummy Time (Harper Collins).

Judith won a scholarship to the Central School of Arts in 1945. She has worked as an artist, television scriptwriter, and an author and illustrator of children’s books. Judith was married to the scriptwriter Nigel Kneale, known for his hit sci-fi series, Quatermass. Her son is the writer Matthew Kneale who won the Whitbread Book Award for The English Passengers.

Image: An illustration from Mog by Judith Kerr

Details