I’ve been a writer for over 28 years now, but it wasn’t planned!
I left school at age 16, and because I really didn’t know what else to do, I spent a year at secretarial college. I
figured out there was always going to be a job going for a secretary.
However, apart from a short stint at the B.B.C. as possibly the worst secretary ever, I changed direction and
started working at Harrods, London as a trainee buyer.
A couple of years later I discovered the cut and thrust of retailing really wasn’t for me. I took on various other
jobs, including working as a dental nurse (which incidentally didn’t cure my fear of dentists!) and as a production
assistant in a reprographic and printing company.
I began to write after joining a creative writing class. I had no success with article writing, or short stories, or fiction, but the first children’s
story I wrote, for a magazine called Twinkle, was accepted for publication. Hooray!!!
Things snowballed and a lot (yes lots and lots) of hard work later I now write full time and have over 100 books published. I still go to the same
writing class and we have become a big happy family of writers!
For me, writing is the best job ever. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I love to create worlds for young children to enjoy and escape
into – whether the stories are educational, bedtime, problem solving or just plain good fun.
It’s also very exciting to see the first picture roughs, as my wonderful, talented illustrators bring the text to life.
I live on the Essex coast with my husband Michael, just a minutes walk to the seafront. At long last I have an office to write in, with room for all my
books and bits of scribbled on papers!
I still find that a bracing walk (it gets freezing when the East wind blows from the North Sea!) or gentle stroll when the weather is warmer, is
great for clearing my head and mulling over story ideas.
In my spare time I love walking along the sea path and eating out at our favourite beach-side cafe. I also enjoy shopping for clothes (I am very girly
but not everything is pink!) and catching up with my friends. I am thinking of joining a dance class or zumba to keep fit!
If I could be anywhere in the world I would be with Michael on a beautiful sandy beach near St Ives, in Cornwall. We’d be eating a Kelly’s Cornish
Ice cream (32 flavours to choose from, and I haven’t tried them all – yet!!) and cooling our toes in the Atlantic surf. Cream teas and Cornish pasties
would probably feature too! Heaven!
Anyway – that’s enough of my day-dreaming. Back to work...!
BOOK AWARDS
ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS
BAFTA TV Series – nominated best short form (animation) 2019
Grand Canyon Reader Award 2017
The Nibbies 2010 shortlist
Panda Award (Beijing) 2009 winner
Sheffield Book Award 2008 winner picture book
Richard and Judy Book Club Award 2007 winner
DINOSAURS LOVE UNDERPANTS
Galaxy British Book Award 2009 shortlist
SPIDER SANDWICHES
Sheffield Book Award 2014 – winner picture book and overall category
(apparently Spider Sandwiches is a favourite book of Prince George, according to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge)
Please click on the link for more details….
THEATRE STAGE SHOWS
Pirates Love Underpants the brand new stage show will be touring UK theatres through Winter 2024 to Spring/Summer 2025
Aliens Love Underpants and the book Monstersaurus! have both been made into stage shows touring the UK and abroad.
TV ANIMATIONS/PROGRAMMES
Aliens Love Panta Claus (2019) and Pirates Love Underpants (2020) have both been made into Christmas specials on Sky TV. Produced by
Tiger Aspect Productions.
Aliens Love Underpants and ...... is a weekly short animation programme also on Sky TV.
Many of my other books have featured on CBeebies, and other children’s TV programmes.
(Claire's Teddy Bear)
© CLAIRE FREEDMAN 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
rjkdesign@2021
![[x]](index_htm_files/close.png "Close")
I’ve been a writer for over 28 years now, but it
wasn’t planned!
I left school at age 16, and
because I really didn’t know what
else to do, I spent a year at
secretarial college. I figured out
there was always going to be a job going for a
secretary.
However, apart from a short stint at the B.B.C. as
possibly the worst secretary ever, I changed
direction and started working at Harrods, London
as a trainee buyer.
A couple of years later I discovered the cut and
thrust of retailing really wasn’t for me. I took on
various other jobs, including working as a dental
nurse (which incidentally didn’t cure my fear of
dentists!) and as a production assistant in a
reprographic and printing company.
I began to write after joining a creative writing
class. I had no success with article writing, or
short stories, or fiction, but the first children’s
story I wrote, for a magazine called Twinkle, was
accepted for publication. Hooray!!!
Things snowballed and a lot (yes lots and lots) of
hard work later I now write full time and have
over 100 books published. I still go to the same
writing class and we have become a big happy
family of writers!
For me, writing is the best job ever. I couldn’t
imagine myself doing anything else. I love to
create worlds for young children to enjoy and
escape into – whether the stories are educational,
bedtime, problem solving or just plain good fun.
It’s also very exciting to see the first picture
roughs, as my wonderful, talented illustrators
bring the text to life.
I live on the Essex coast with my husband
Michael, just a minutes walk to the seafront. At
long last I have an office to write in, with room
for all my books and bits of scribbled on papers!
I still find that a bracing walk (it gets freezing
when the East wind blows from the North Sea!) or
gentle stroll when the weather is warmer, is great
for clearing my head and mulling over story ideas.
In my spare time I love walking along the sea path
and eating out at our favourite beach-side cafe. I
also enjoy shopping for clothes (I am very girly
but not everything is pink!) and catching up with
my friends. I am thinking of joining a dance class
or zumba to keep fit!
If I could be anywhere in the world I would be
with Michael on a beautiful sandy beach near St
Ives, in Cornwall. We’d be eating a Kelly’s Cornish
Ice cream (32 flavours to choose from, and I
haven’t tried them all – yet!!) and cooling our toes
in the Atlantic surf. Cream teas and Cornish
pasties would probably feature too! Heaven!
Anyway – that’s enough of my day-dreaming. Back
to work...!
BAFTA TV Series – nominated best short form
(animation) 2019, Grand Canyon Reader Award 2017
The Nibbies 2010 shortlist
Panda Award (Beijing) 2009 winner
Sheffield Book Award 2008 winner picture book
Richard and Judy Book Club Award 2007 winner
DINOSAURS LOVE
UNDERPANTS
Sheffield Book Awards presented
by Michael Rosen (far left)
About me
Illustration © Jane Massey from our book Florence Frizzball
SPIDER SANDWICHES
Pirates Love Underpants the brand new stage show
will be touring UK theatres through Winter 2024 to
Spring/Summer 2025. Aliens Love Underpants and
the book Monstersaurus! have both been made
into stage shows touring the UK and abroad.
Aliens Love Panta Claus (2019) and Pirates Love
Underpants (2020) have both been made into
Christmas specials on Sky TV. Produced by Tiger
Aspect Productions.
Aliens Love Underpants and ...... is a weekly short
animation programme also on Sky TV.
Many of my other books have featured on
CBeebies, and other children’s TV programmes.
THEATRE STAGE SHOWS
TVANIMATIONS
AND PROGRAMMES
Galaxy British Book Award 2009 shortlist
Sheffield Book Award 2014 – winner picture book
and overall category
(apparently Spider Sandwiches is a favourite book
of Prince George, according to Kate, the Duchess of
Cambridge)
Please click on the link for more details….
ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS
BOOK AWARDS
rjkdesign@2021
© CLAIRE FREEDMAN 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
