World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Michael Rosen

マイケル・ローゼン

Maikeru Rōzen

Aliases: Michael Wayne Rosen

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1946-05-07 （Harrow, Middlesex, England）
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Harrow, Middlesex → North London

Career

Occupations
Children's author, Poet, Presenter, Political columnist, Broadcaster, Activist, Academic
Active Years
1974-2025
Affiliations
Goldsmiths, University of London
Memberships
Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
Influenced By
Harold Rosen (father), Connie Rosen (mother)
Influenced
Jeremy Corbyn supporters

Education

Wadham College, Oxford
English
Degree: BA
Year of Graduation: 1969
Country: United Kingdom
University of Reading
Children's Literature
Degree: MA
Year of Graduation: 1993
Country: United Kingdom
University of North London
Degree: PhD
Year of Graduation: 1997
Country: United Kingdom

Awards

PEN Pinter Prize
2023
Organization: English PEN
Result: 受賞
Children's Laureate
2007
Organization: Booktrust
Result: 2007-2009
Fred and Anne Jarvis Award
2010
Organization: National Union of Teachers
Result: 受賞
Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
1989
Work: We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Category: 0-5歳部門および全体
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

1989 Children's picture book

A rhythmic picture book about a family's adventure hunting a bear, overcoming various obstacles.

AdventureFamilyCourage
Adaptations
  • [Animated film] We're Going on a Bear Hunt (2016)

Michael Rosen's Sad Book

2004 Children's literature

A picture book dealing with grief over the death of his son.

SadnessLossRecovery

Bibliography

  • Quick, Let's Get Out of Here (1985)
  • We're Going on a Bear Hunt (1989)
  • Carrying the Elephant: A Memoir of Love and Loss (2002)
  • Michael Rosen's Sad Book (2004)
  • Tiny Little Fly (2010)
  • Fantastic Mr Dahl (2012)
  • So They Call You Pisher! (2017)
  • Many Different Kinds of Love (2021)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Humorous verseUse of ordinary children's languageDrawing on personal childhood experiences
Recurring Motifs
FamilyLossPoliticsJewish culture

Health

  • Hypothyroidism
    1970年代-1981
    Undiagnosed for ten years, affecting health.
  • Son Eddie's meningococcal septicaemia
    1999
    Son died at 18, inspiration for Sad Book.
  • COVID-19 and long COVID
    2020-現在
    Near-death ICU stay, vision/hearing loss, numbness.

Legacy

Prominent English children's poet and performer, author of over 200 books, former Children's Laureate, PEN Pinter Prize winner, popular on YouTube.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature

In Popular Culture

  • Subject of numerous YouTube Poops and internet memes.

Quotes

  • Realising that poetry was performance was my eureka moment.
    Source: Guardian interview (2017)

Trivia

  • Born into a Jewish family with communist parents.
  • Leftist political activist.
  • Survived near-fatal COVID-19, wrote memoir about it.