Kathleen Hale

Kathleen Hale was born in 1898 in Broughton in Lanarkshire and was brought up in a suburb of Manchester. Her childhood was far from idyllic, her father died when she was very young and she was forced to endure long periods of separation from her mother. This, along with the frustrations of an unexpressed artistic talent, produced a rebellious reaction in the young girl's naturally ebullient nature. 

In 1917, Kathleen moved to London to make a life for herself as an artist. She worked for some time as Augustus John's secretary whilst developing a wide circle of friends in the artistic community, such as Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. During the twenties she earned a living as an illustrator, accepting commissions for book jackets as well as selling her own drawings. She created Orlando and his world to entertain her children at bedtime. Kathleen Hale died on 26th January 2000 at 101 years of age.

Orlando The Marmalade Cat 'with eyes like twin gooseberries' was one of the most popular classic children's book characters of the 1940s and 50s. The stories are renowned for their quirky wit, magnificent illustrations and their ability to combine excitement and adventure together with and appreciation of friendship and family life. The books continue to be read by generations of readers who have come to regard Orlando with great affection and delight in the nostalgic memories evoked by the stories. As the creator of Orlando, Kathleen was awarded the OBE in 1976.

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In the above link is an article written by weekend telegraph about an interview with Hale herself. In the article she tells the telegraph that she hates Orlando, her most famous creation. The interviewer asks if there will be any more Orlando books, but she replies with " there are too many already", also giving "because they are so awful" an answer to why she had not looked at the books in years. 

Not having read the books as a child i am unsure on how to take the storys, i am awaiting a copy of 'Orlando the marmelade cat - a camping holiday, i was intrigued to see what i had missed out on as a child, from looking at the illustrations used in the books, through the illustrations she has managed to build up an image of a mischievous cheeky ginger cat.

Although such a well loved creation, it is clear to see that Hale feels this creation has obviously hindered her progress and ability to move onto new projects. She got caught up in the continuous production of the story of the marmelade cat that she never got the chance do broaden her mind.