Michael Morpurgo discovered his talent for writing while working as a teacher. “We had to read the children a story every day and my lot were bored by the book I was reading. I decided I had to do something and told them the kind of story I used to tell my kids – it was like a soap opera, and they focused on it. I could see there was magic in it for them, and realised there was magic in it for me.” All'inizio credevo fosse la storia di una bambina, Lily, che continua a perdere il suo gatto, ma poi si è dimostrato un racconto totalmente diverso, per certi versi duro e crudo, ambientato durante la seconda guerra mondiale in un paesino dell'Inghilterra. La guerra può essere conosciuta nei vari punti di vista che sono stati messi per iscritto negli anni, può essere vissuta tramite alcuni personaggi, può essere considerata in tanti modi. Comunque tutti i modi sono modi negativi, non penso che troveremo mai qualcosa di giusto in tutto ciò che è successo.

The next quote comes from Martin Luther King. ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.’ This was spoken in a Christian sermon in 1957 from Luther King himself. In the play the cat returning home is symbolic of light being brought in to drive out the darkness and horror of war. It shows that through negativity, positivity can shine brightly when it is so unexpected. The cat returning after being lost, (like the soldiers do), is symbolic of light and hope shining through, no matter how dark things become.Cast: Nandi Bhebhe, Emma Darlow, Ncuti Gatwa, Kyla Goodey, Chris Jared, Katy Owen, Mike Shepherd, Adam Sopp, Akpore Uzoh and Ewan Wardrop.

Morpurgo added: “Storymakers and storytellers like Barrie, and like all the previous winners of this award, have given us the hope and faith children need, we need, to keep flying, have sustained us through dark and troubled times, have banished doubt. To touch the lives of children, to witness their listening and reading silence, is reward enough in itself. This is simply the icing on the cake.” The story of lily living her life during World War II intrigued me. Lily’s father is a soldier gone to war and she keeps a diary about what she gets up to, she then shares her childhood story with her grandson Boowie who she is very close to. Michael Morpurgo has thrilled and delighted huge numbers of young readers since becoming a children’s author in the early 1970s," Wood said. "Action for Children’s Arts is delighted to recognise Michael’s outstanding contribution by presenting him with the J M Barrie Award 2016. His work will undoubtedly, like Peter Pan, stand the test of time, making him a truly worthy recipient of this award." Adolphus Tips is a book set in WW2. It is about a young girl, called Lily Tregenza, her cat called Tips and an American soldier called Adolphus. In the book, Lily and her family are forced to move away from their home because the American army are using her town for bomb practise as they need to prepare for invading France. However, during the move Lily’s cat has gone missing. When she goes to look for Tips, Lily is stopped by the army and told she needs to leave as her old home is now a dangerous place to be. Along the way, she meets the American soldier, Adolphus. They become good friends and despite her home being out of bounds, Lily and her new friend don’t give up and do all they can to find their beloved cat, Tips...Emma Rice directs her and Michael Morpurgo’s critically acclaimed theatrical adaptation 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, a little known story of the rehearsal of the D-Day landings, and of the 946 people who were killed during Operation Tiger at Slapton Sands in Devon in 1944. You can also read about his life in War Child to War Horse,a collaborative biography with Maggie Fergusson. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s novella The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, 946 explodes everything we thought we knew about the D-Day landings. With the kind of storytelling sorcery Kneehigh is famous for, 946 uses live music, dance and puppetry to tell this story of war, prejudice and love. At once, tender, political and romantic, this production speaks to all ages, revealing the secrets the US and British government tried to keep quiet.