Michael Morpurgo, with Beret

Michael Morpurgo (1943) is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist who is known best for children's novels.

Morpurgo's first job was as a primary school teacher, in Kent. In his late twenties, while he was teaching, he discovered his talent for storytelling, of which he later said "I could see there was magic in it for them, and realized there was magic in it for me."

Michael married Clare, eldest daughter of Sir Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books. In 1976, Michael and Clare established the charity Farms for City Children, with the primary aim of providing children from inner city areas with experience of the countryside.

Morpurgo is probably best known for his book 'War Horse. The story recounts the experiences of Joey, a horse purchased by the Army for service in World War I France and the attempts of young Albert, his previous owner, to bring him safely home. It formed the basis of both an award winning play (2007) and an acclaimed film (2011).