Quentin Blake

Quentin Saxby Blake is an English cartoonist, illustrator and children's author, well known for his collaborations with writer Roald Dahl. Born in 1932 in Sidcup, London, he was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. He read English Literature at Downing College, Cambridge (1953-6), received his postgraduate teaching diploma from the University of London, and later studied at the Chelsea School of Art. He gained another teaching diploma at the Institute of Education before working at the Royal College of Art.

Blake gained a reputation as a reliable and humorous illustrator of over three hundred children's books. As well as illustrating the books of others, including Roald Dahl and Elizabeth Bowen, Blake has written numerous books of his own. As of 2006, he has participated in the writing and/or illustrating of 323 books (of which he wrote 35 himself, and 18 were by Dahl). He taught at the Royal College of Art for over twenty years, and was head of the Illustration department from 1978 to 1986. He recently illustrated David Walliams's debut book, The Boy in the Dress,/i> and his more recent book Mr Stink.