Unexpected Twist

About Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen is a bestselling author of picture books and poetry. Michael frequently appears on radio and gives talks and lectures on children's literature. He served as Children's Laureate from June 2007 to June 2009 and is the winner of the Eleanor Farjeon Award. He has been a TV presenter and a political columnist and his books include Carrying the Elephant: A Memoir of Love and Loss and Uncle Billy Being Silly. He lives in London. Roy Williams OBE worked as an actor before turning to writing full-time in 1990. He graduated from Rose Bruford in 1995 with a first class BA Hons degree in Writing and participated in the 1997 Carlton Television screenwriter's course. The No Boys Cricket Club (Theatre Royal Stratford East 1996) won him nominations for the TAPS Writer of the Year Award 1996 and for New Writer of the Year Award 1996 by the Writers' Guild of Great Britain. He was the first recipient of the Alfred Fagon Award 1997 for Starstruck (Tricycle Theatre London 1998) which also won the 31st John Whiting Award and the EMMA Award 1999. Lift Off (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs 1999) was the joint winner of the George Devine Award 2000. His other theatre credits include Clubland (Royal Court 2001) for which Roy won the Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for the Most Promising Playwright; Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre 2002 2004); Sucker Punch (Royal Court 2010). His screenplays include Offside winner of a BAFTA for Best Schools Drama 2002. His radio plays include Tell Tale Homeboys Westway which was broadcast as part of Radio 4 First Bite Young Writers' Festival To Sir with Love and The Interrogation. He also wrote Babyfather for BBC TV. He was awarded the OBE for Services to Drama in the 2008 Birthday Honours List.