Nick Butterworth

NICK BUTTERWORTH was born in Kingsbury, North London in 1946.

When Nick was aged three, his parents moved to Romford in Essex and took on the running of a sweet shop. Having intended to go to art college after leaving school, Nick decided instead to take a job as a typographic designer in the printing department of the National Children's Home. He went on to work for several major London design consultancies before moving into freelance graphics in partnership with Mick Inkpen.

The two produced more than thirty highly acclaimed children's books together. Nick's first picture book, B.B. BLACKSHEEP AND COMPANY, was published in 1981, and this let to him producing a regular illustrated story called Upney Junction for The Sunday Express colour magazine. He also worked as a television presenter on the TV-AM children's programme, Rub-a-Dub-Tud.

Nick Butterworth works from his studio at his home in Suffolk, where he keeps every single illustration he has ever done.

His most famous creation is Percy the Park Keeper and the first story, ONE SNOWY NIGHT, was published in 1989. Since then Nick has written over five Percy the Park keeper stories as well as some new books featuring Percy and individual animal friends, and his books have been acclaimed as children's classics.

The Percy the Park Keeper books have achieved outstanding success and popularity around the world. They have sold over four million copies and been translated into fifteen languages, and mark Nick out as one of the most popular and talented author/illustrators in children's books today