Simon Philip

Award-winning children's author

simon-philip.com

Booking enquiry

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview

Audiences

Age 5 to 7, Age 7 to 11

Genres

Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture book

Book types

Fiction 5-9, Picture book

Awards

Event feedback

He ran a really fun, informative and engaging assembly for KS1 which inspired a lot of our children to want to become authors. Simon's workshops were also really engaging and even made some of our reluctant writers eager to pick up a pencil and get involved.

Stuart Dickenson (Catherington Church of England Infant School)

Details

ABOUT ME

My books include You Must Bring a Hat, Be More Bernard, the I Really Want... series (...the Cake, ...to Win, ...to Shout, ...to Share), Achoo!, Wanna See a Penguin?, Mums Are Magnificent and many more. I write primarily picture books, but have also written chapter book fiction suitable for KS2.

I am passionate about instilling in children a love of reading, writing, books and language, and aim to do so through sharing my love of all things book-related; after all, it's well-researched that a love of reading is a springboard to increased attainment, opportunity, and becoming an empathetic, well-rounded person. I want to help children to discover and enjoy the many benefits that reading and writing have given me - pleasure, comfort, knowledge, a sense of self, vital literacy skills, and opportunities for success.

As well as doing events at bookshops, libraries, festivals and schools, I have worked closely with Portsmouth School Library Service for many years as part of their 'Meet the Author' programme, and delivered a session with PSLS on Reading for Pleasure at the Portsmouth Education Partnership's Teaching and Learning Conference in 2023.

I live in West Sussex, and am available to visit schools across the UK where time and school budgets allow. My fees are based on Society of Author guidelines , but are not rigid. Please feel free to contact me about possible visits without feeling that you are then obliged to book me!

VISITS

I am delighted to visit schools, and very much open to suggestions as to how we use my time. But, typically, my full-day visits (Reception-KS2) include a whole-school or Key-Stage introductory assembly, followed by year-group workshops in their classrooms.

I structure my interactive and engaging assembly around readings of a couple of my books and answering FAQs. I discuss my love of books, how and why I became an author, where I get ideas from, the challenges of and key requirements (such as self-belief, determination, perseverance and hard-work!) to being an author, and I ask children lots of questions to keep them engaged.

Alternatively, (and particularly for larger schools where the number of classes makes class-workshops impractical), I am happy to deliver tailored assemblies (up to 1 hr) to each Key Stage, and visit EYFS separately for a shorter session. I'm equally happy to talk to each year in turn.

Basically, I'm happy to adapt to the needs of the school!

EVENT FEEDBACK

'The children had a brilliant time and I have had some lovely feedback from the teachers too. All of your books have already disappeared on loan from the library and I know lots of the children have said they are going to buy one over the weekend.' - Kay Couldrey, Librarian, Elvetham Heath Primary School

'Thank you again for yesterday. The joy on the children's faces was absolutely priceless' - Ali Totman, Lavant Primary School

Books by Simon Philip

Simon is obsessed with children's books: reading them, writing them, buying them, smelling them. His own (17 and counting, including a 3-book young fiction chapter series) have been published in more than 20 languages. YOU MUST BRING A HAT won the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year, and I REALLY WANT THE CAKE was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. He particularly enjoys funny, deadpan picture books. After gaining a 1st class degree in History, he put his skills to use as a barman at a local pub, grew tired of the owner calling him Andy, left to fail a teaching degree, then turned to writing. He lives in Sussex, England, although occasionally leaves to buy milk.

IBSN: 9781471117329

Author's website

You are cordially invited to the biggest, bestest, HATTIEST party of all time! But only if you know the entry rules. And there seem to be a surprising number of those…

W

Waterstones Amazon

IBSN: 9781471124136

Author's website

Every cat needs a name. One name, one word, just a sound… It should be easy to choose one, right? WRONG!!! I just don’t know what to call my cat!

W

Waterstones Amazon

IBSN: 9781783708017

Author's website

There’s a smell I can’t ignore. It’s wafting through the kitchen door. It’s time for me to find out more. I think it might be cake. How on earth do you resist the most amazing cake ever? Especially when your mum has left a note saying that you MUST NOT eat the cake? One little girl is about to find out just how hard it can be.

W

Waterstones Amazon

IBSN: 9781471164583

Author's website

Sometimes saying yes is a brilliant thing. You can meet new people, discover amazing things, and go on exciting adventures . . . but not always. When a gorilla named Gideon shows up at your house with lots of questions and some preeeeeetty bonkers requests, perhaps “yes” will lead to trouble, trouble, and maybe just a touch more trouble. One thing’s for sure – it definitely won’t be boring!

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781787414112

Author's website

Today is Sports Day. I CAN’T WAIT! And as I know that I’ll be great, I’ve planned how I will celebrate – because I’m going to win. Our heroine is determined that she’s going to win all the events at school sports day. The problem is that winning isn’t as easy as it looks. She doesn’t win the running race or the tug of war – and she can’t even win a game of hide-and-seek. But maybe winning isn’t really the point?

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781471164620

Author's website

Bernard has decided that he’s not going to be like all the other bunnies any more. He’s not going to hop when everyone else hops, or bounce when they bounce. And while others might dream of carrots, Bernard’s dreams are altogether more…disco!” He starts small, but when he finally gets to groove with grace and jive with joy at Bertie and Brenda’s Bunny Ball, Bernard shows the world that being yourself is the very best thing a bunny can be.

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781471164644

Author's website

I have to start at school today. “You’ll have such fun!” my parents say. I know they think I’ll be okay, But what if things don’t go my way? Starting at a new school is BIG deal at the best of times, so what if you also had to deal with a cross rhinoceros, a selfish bear taking up your chair and a weird baboon with a loud bassoon? Luckily, Grandma is on hand to reassure that there’s no need for fright because what if it just all goes…right? Simon Philip’s spirited rhyme is perfectly paired with bright, bold,...

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781787416802

Author's website

Sometimes I find it really tough to make sure I’m not in a huff because there’s simply so much stuff that makes me want to shout. We all get angry once in a while, but it can be hard to know what to do when we feel this way. The determined heroine of I Really want the Cake is back with a new conundrum. What should she do when she REALLY wants to shout?

W

Waterstones Amazon

IBSN: 9780192775023

Author's website

Esme is a small cave girl. She has the kind of voice that’s great for keeping big things with sharp teeth away but that isn’t so great for keeping secrets, like the plans for Morris the mammoth’s birthday surprise. But when the birthday surprise is in danger of not being finished on time, it is Esme’s booming voice that brings people together, makes sure the job is done, and allows the party to go with a real swing!

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9780192775047

Author's website

When a sabre-toothed cub strolls into Esme’s Stone Age village, she enthusiastically adopts it as her own, and names him Seb. But when Esme tries to train Seb as her pet, he won’t listen-even when she uses her very loudest voice. When it becomes clear that Seb doesn’t want to be anyone’s pet, Morris the mammoth wonders-could they all be friends, instead?

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781526623737

Author's website

You probably know it’s good manners to ALWAYS cover your nose when you sneeze. But when Sid forgets this very simple rule, the consequences are WILDER than he could ever have predicted. Get ready for a laugh-out-loud, sneeze-driven joyride, featuring elephants, pirates, acrobats, giants, princesses and a whole lot of pandas. Sneezing will never be the same again! This joyfully anarchic, side-splittingly funny story is perfect for fans of You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus and There’s a Shark in the Bath.

W

Waterstones Amazon

IBSN: 9781800781726

Author's website

Everyone knows sharing is difficult, but a new sibling can be a particularly tricky challenge for lots of children. This story is a brilliantly funny take on growing families and introducing new siblings. The determined heroine of I Really Want to Share faces this conundrum – with mixed results! A hilarious story with an important message at its heart, from the author of I Really Want the Cake (shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize), I Really Want to Win and I Really Want to Shout.

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781801044103

Author's website

A celebration of mums with joyful and traditional illustrations by Dawn Lo. Mums are SPECIAL. Mums are UNIQUE. They can play let’s pretend . . . . . . and be your best friend. They can be pilots of planesOr drivers of trains. All mums are DIFFERENT, MAGIC . . . and MAGNIFICENT!Mums Are Magnificent champions the diverse nature of mums and uplifts and celebrates ALL types of mums everywhere – the perfect present to mark the arrival of a new baby or to give to that very special mum on Mother’s Day. Just like I Love M...

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9780192783561

Author's website

Join two friends on a wild penguin chase around the city. Our self-described penguin ‘expert’ finds black-and-white animals at every turn. But are any of them really penguins – and can you spot the penguin hiding on every page? Written in Simon Philip’s distinctively witty voice, this is brilliantly funny storytelling that plays on the pantomime convention of ‘it’s behind you’. Readers will love guessing what each new animal is from the glimpse given in the artwork, before turning the page to find out. There ar...

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781471190957

Author's website

Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all … because it just so happens that Fred is a Wizard! Sounds pretty great, right? Except that Fred is absolutely, completely, mind-boggingly TERRIBLE at magic. At school, he’s stuck in a class of wizards half his age, feeling like a twit among tots. At home, he’s endlessly teased by his siblings and always a disappointment to his parents. All Fred wants is to become a better wizard…. So when he hears about a competi...

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781471169090

Author's website

Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all … because it just so happens that Fred is a Wizard! The only problem is that Fred is completely, mind-boggingly TERRIBLE at magic… And now he’s training with the amazing Merlin, hoping to transform from the worst wizard around to a magical marvel. But when an ancient magical book is stolen and Merlin goes missing, Fred discovers that sometimes magic isn’t the answer and that he has other talents that can help hi...

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 9781471169120

Author's website

Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all . . . because it just so happens that Fred is a wizard! The only problem is that Fred is totally, absolutely, mind-boggingly terrible at magic. . . In his third adventure, Fred is invited to stay at the world-famous Magic Camp for Wizards of Astounding Genius, which has to be a mistake, surely? Will being surrounded by incredible magicians make Fred’s rubbish spells look even worse, or will he discover he has mo...

W

Waterstones

Keywords

ANIMALS ASSEMBLY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR BOOK WEEK CHAPTER BOOKS COMPETITIVENESS EMOTIONS FUNNY PICTURE BOOK HOW TO BE AN AUTHOR HUMOROUS KS1 KS2 MANNERS PICTURE BOOK PICTURE BOOK AUTHOR PICTURE BOOKS ABOUT EMOTIONS PSHE Q&A RHYTHM SHARING WORLD BOOK DAY