Daniel Postgate

Daniel Raymond Postgate (5 February 1964 – 27 June 2025) was an English scriptwriter, author and illustrator. Some of his books include Smelly Bill, Engelbert Sneem and His Dream Vacuum Machine, and Big Mum Plum.

After the death of his father in 2008, Postgate inherited Smallfilms, the company set up by Postgate and Firmin. Smallfilms is a company that has made Pingwings, Pogles' Wood, Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, Clangers and Bagpuss, and was shown on the BBC between 1950s and 1980s, and on ITV from 1959 to the present day.

Early life Postgate was born in Whitstable Hospital on 5 February 1964, the youngest son of Oliver Postgate and Prudence Myers, nee Briton. Postgate grew up in Blean, a village just outside Whitstable, and lived in a large house which was once a pub. He attended the Canterbury Technical College.

Career After moving to London, Postgate regularly contributed his cartoons to The Sunday Times newspaper. . Postgate subsequently wrote and illustrated many children's books (including Big Mum Plum, Hairy Toe, Smelly Bill, Wild West Willy)

Personal life and death Postgate worked as a chef, a painter of horses and sea scenes on old wooden boxes, a freelance cartoonist and a picture book illustrator.