Exclusive! The Tiger Who Came to Tea author reveals her next book

 
Judith Kerr, author of much-loved children’s books like The Tiger Who Came To Tea, has exclusively told The Big Issue that she will finally publish her life story.

Now approaching her 90th birthday, Kerr has embarked upon a book that will chronicle her extraordinary life for the first time.

The author was brought up in Germany but was forced to flee when her father Alfred Kerr spoke out against the Nazis.

She has previously drawn on her experiences for semi-autobiographical children’s books such as When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, but now she wants to faithfully narrate her life story.

Kerr is also famed for her illustrations and is currently choosing her favourite drawings for inclusion in the autobiography. .

Her revelation comes as a stunning new production of The Tiger Who Came To Tea wows audiences at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End.

Judith Kerr, who also wrote the classic Mog series, said: “I’m going to be 90 next year and so it was decided that we should bring out some sort of book. I have written novels before which were based on what happened in my life, but this is the exact story, which is a bit different.”

She added: “It’s funny, because even Mog was based on truth. Mog the Forgetful Cat was inspired by things that our real cat of the same name did. The only thing I made up was that she caught a burglar. I’m now on my ninth cat and she’s white with a tabby tail, which looks ridiculous. But she’s very nice.”

Kerr’s career has stretched over more than 50 years and started with the release of The Tiger Who Came To Tea in 1968. She also discusses the genesis of this children’s classic in the full interview, which can be found in this week’s edition of the Big Issue.

The Tiger Who Came To Tea runs at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, London, until September 2. Visit www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com for more information.