Jan Pieńkowski

Jan Michał Pieńkowski (8 August 1936 – 19 February 2022) was a Polish-born British author of children's books—as illustrator, as writer, and as designer of movable books. He is best known for illustrating the Meg and Mog picture book series. He also did stage design for the theatre. For his contribution as a children's illustrator he was UK nominee in 1982 and again in 2008 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books.

Early life and career Jan Pieńkowski was born in Warsaw to Jerzy, a 'country squire before the war', later a farm manager, and Wanda (née Garlicka), a scientist. He was three years old in September 1939 when World War II began in Europe with the invasion of Poland. He was in an air-raid shelter during a Nazi firebomb attack, when a Polish insurgent showed him paper cut-out techniques. He later used these in over 150 picture books.

Pieńkowski had a lifelong interest in stage design. He was commissioned to provide designs for Théâtre de Complicité, Beauty and the Beast for the Royal Ballet, and Sleeping Beauty at Disneyland Paris.

In December 2008 he was a guest on Private Passions, a biographic music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3. Published episode notes include the observation that "is musical choices, which all have strong personal resonances, reflect his Polish background as well as his love of both Italy and England." Recordings of two Polish numbers led the program : "Infant holy, infant lowly", a traditional Christmas Carol (lyrics in English translation), and Chopin's so-called Military Polonaise.

In 2019, Pienkowski was awarded the Booktrust's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life and death In October 2009, Pieńkowski was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. During the programme he discussed his childhood spent roaming Europe, his dead infant sister, his bipolarity and his collection of discarded garments (which he would wear himself or give away to charity shops).

Pieńkowski lived and worked in Barnes, London, where he was a patron of the Barnes Literary Society.

Pieńkowski died from pneumonia at Charing Cross Hospital in Fulham, London, on 19 February 2022, aged 85. At the time of his death, he was also suffering from metastatic prostate cancer and Alzheimer's dementia.

The Booker Prize trophy In 1969, Pieńkowski designed a trophy for the Booker Prize, which was unveiled at the first prize ceremony that year, with the statuette being awarded to P. H. Newby. Although the statuette was out of use for many years, after Pieńkowski's death it was reinstated in his honour and was awarded to the winner of the Booker Prize 2022, Shehan Karunatilaka.

Books Annie, Bridget and Charlie (1967) The Golden Bird (1972) ABC ABC Dinosaurs (1993) Haunted House Intervisual Books Easter Christmas The First Christmas The First Noel Weather Gossip Botticelli's Bed & Breakfast Little Monsters Shapes Numbers Boats Faces 1 2 3 Big Machines Doorbell Dinner Times Meg and Mog Meg on the Moon Meg and the Romans The Fairytales Nighttime Pet Food Small Talk Oh My a Fly Yes No Robot Road Hog The Animals Went in Two by Two Pizza