Author and illustrator Shirley Hughes dies, aged 94

Shirley Hughes has died after a short illness at the age of 94. 

The highly respected children’s author and illustrator died on 25th February, her family has announced. 

She was best known for her much-loved picture books about a boy called Alfie and his little sister Annie Rose, and for her story Dogger (Penguin Random House) about a lost toy. She illustrated more than 200 children’s books, published by Walker Books, Penguin Random House and Egmont, with her lifetime sales estimated by her family to be more than 11.3 million copies. 

Twice the winner of the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal, she won the inaugural BookTrust Lifetime Achievement award in 2015 and in 2017 was appointed CBE for services to children’s literature.  She was presented with the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance Children’s Book Award in 2014, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2000.  

Hughes was born on 16th July 1927 in West Kirby. She studied drawing and costume design at the Liverpool School of Art and fine art at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford. Her early work included illustrating the My Naughty Little Sister series by Dorothy Edwards and the Bell Family books by Noel Streatfeild.

Her first picture book, Lucy and Tom’s Day (David & Charles), was published in 1960. She also wrote books for older children such as The Lion and the Unicorn (Penguin Random House) and wartime fiction including her first novel, Hero on a Bicycle (Walker).  

“She was a life-long champion of libraries; celebrating them as a quiet space away from home for homework, as well as a source of books for all ages to enjoy,” her family said in a statement. “Shirley’s books about everyday family life are adored by generations of families and she is held in the highest esteem by her peers.” 

Since the news was announced, many in the trade have paid tribute to Hughes and her work. Karen Lotz, president and publisher of Candlewick Press and Walker Books Group m.d. told The Bookseller: "Walker Books and Candlewick Press are deeply sad to learn of the death of our beloved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes. Shirley has been a part of the Walker Books family since almost the very beginning, with her groundbreaking Nursery Collection and Out and About, featuring the irrepressible Olly and Katie.

"She had an instinctive sense of what would appeal to young children, and highlighted the drama and excitement of their everyday lives in her warmhearted stories. Always ahead of her time, from her earliest books right through to her most recent, her books represented the diversity of inner-city life she saw around her, making them accessible to all. Shirley understood children’s capacity to pore over and absorb the details in pictures, and she always gave them the very best. Her draughtsmanship was second to none."

Lotz added: "Shirley was one of the most loved and admired writers and illustrators of all time, and she will be sorely missed by us all. Our thoughts are with her family at this sad time."

Francesca Dow, m.d. of PRH Children’s, told The Bookseller: "Shirley Hughes was an exceptional and wonderfully unshowy picture-book creator: she created vivid unforgettable photos dramas out of the small and quotidian details of domestic life - the heartbreak of a lost toy, the unforgettable adventure of a day at the beach, the shock of being locked in, at home alone.... Shirley had a story for all these seminal moments in a child’s life and her stories are timeless.

"From her Alfie tales, to Lucy and Tom, and Dogger, her pitch-perfect writing and finely-turned illustrations always captured something essential about what it is to be a young child."

Andrea MacDonald, editorial director and Hughes’ long-time editor, added: "Working with Shirley was one of the greatest pleasures and privileges of my life. I still can’t believe my luck: the sheer happiness of walking up and knocking on her front door and being so warmly welcomed into both her home and her creative world.

"Shirley’s work was just like her: full of warmth and joy. Her eye and her drawing hand were so sharp: full of compassion but never sentimental; always interested in those pivotal dramas which happen in pre-schoolers’ lives. The telling details of how homes and families work, and of the way children really play and move and look are so perfectly captured in her stories... The scenes she painted and the emotions they evoke - these will stay with us always.

"Shirley was an incredible artist, an innovator, an advocate, and also a wonderful and kind person. I’ve spent some of the loveliest evenings with Shirley - talking of picture books, yes, but also being entertained by a born storyteller and generous companion: funny, interested and interesting. I am sending my love and condolences to her beloved family and friends, and I shall miss her so very much."

Retailers also shared tributes. Florentyna Martin, Waterstones’ head of children’s, commented: "We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Shirley Hughes. Whether drawn in by her warm, golden tones or her characteristic sketches, it’s easy to see that Shirley Hughes was one of the greatest book illustrators in history. Her works remain some of the most popular in children’s books today, with Dogger – Hughes’ heartwarming story of a young boy searching for his favourite toy dog – a go-to recommend for young readers. Her stories will remain in our hearts and homes for generations to come."

Many in the industry also shared tributes to Hughes on Twitter. Fellow children’s author Michael Rosen wrote: "Shirley Hughes has gone. Long live wonderful, lovely Shirley. You’ve delighted and moved us for years and years and years and will go on doing so."

Novelist Lissa Evans called her an "incomparable genius" and said: "When I adopted two little girls who had scarcely ever been read to before, the book they loved first, and forever, was Dogger. Shirley Hughes spoke to them as she spoke to every child - with heart and story and warmth and humour."

Children’s author and illustrator James Mayhew wrote: "No one observed and captured the touching details of childhood & domesticity like Shirley. Her passing marks the end of a Golden Age. But what a legacy! A true legend."

The charity BookTrust also tweeted: "All of us are devastated to hear the news that Shirley Hughes has passed away at the age of 94. Shirley’s incredible stories and illustrations, from Dogger to Alfie and Lucy and Tom, have touched so many generations and are still so loved."