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14 June 1923 – 22 May 2019The former children’s laureate on the beloved author’s fascination with the ordinary detail of life – and an encounter with David Beckham• Keith Flint remembered by Richard Russell• Read the Observer’s obituaries of 2019 in full
I first met Judith years ago at a Christmas party in a tiny illustration gallery packed to squashing point. I thought she might have had enough of talking to strangers – everyone wanted to meet her – so I decided not to bother her by saying hello. I was wrong about that: Judith liked meeting people. She was charming and funny and, mercifully, even though it was a small talk sort of event, she wasn’t a small talk sort of person.
If I could sum Judith up in just one anecdote it would be this one. She was telling me about a family photograph. Her parents are standing looking quite serious, four-year-old Judith and her brother, Michael, are both sitting on tricycles. Continue reading...