Gilbert the Hero

About Jane Clarke

Jane Clarke is the talented author of over 80 books for young children, including the award-wining picture books Gilbert the Great, Knight Time and Stuck in the Mud.

Jane Clarke on Jane Clarke:

I live in Kent with my two Labradors, Bramble and Amber. The dogs love to swim in the sea, so I burn a lot of perfumed candles to stop our house from smelling of damp dog.

Thanks to my Mum and Dad, I had a very happy childhood in the English Midlands. Dad attached a trapeze to the branch of a tree in our garden, and my friends and I spent a lot of time hanging upside down pretending to be acrobats. There were always pets – mice, hamster, and guinea pigs, cats and dogs. For a long time, I thought my dog was my brother. My bedroom was stuffed full of fossils and shells.

My ideas come from my family and pets, my friends and their families, and from school. I often lose all track of time when I’m writing. Amber and Bramble have learned to bring me their leads, to remind me to take them out for a walk.

Most of my stories and poems are funny, because I love to laugh, but sometimes I write about sad things. The saddest thing in my life is my husband’s death. Martin was a lovely man, a great husband and Dad. Andy and Rob are now at university and Martin lives on in them, in our hearts, and in our happy memories.