Jon Blake (author)

{{Short description|British writer}}

{{other people|Jon Blake}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}

{{BLP primary sources|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox Writer

| name = Jon Blake

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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954}}

| birth_place = Mortimer, Berkshire
England

| nationality = British

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Jon Blake (born 1954 in Mortimer, Berkshire){{cite web |url=https://feela.wordpress.com/the-author |title = The author – The Last Free Cat|date = 10 March 2008}} is the author of over sixty works for children and teenagers. He was brought up in Southampton and has lived in Cardiff since 1987.

His works include the picture book "You're A Hero, Daley B" (illustrated by Axel Scheffler, worldwide sales of over 200,000), as well as "Little Stupendo", which was shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award.{{cite web |url=https://oshieblack.wordpress.com/2017/12/04/1996-little-stupendo-shortlisted-for-childrens-book-award/ |title = Private Site}}

In 1995, Jon's TV play 'Life' was shortlisted for a Writers Guild Award, while in 2002 he won a BBC Talent award{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - Entertainment programme ideas |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/04_april/18/wales_entideas.shtml |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}} for his adult radio sitcom "Degrees R Us", which was broadcast on BBC Radio Wales. In 2017 'Thimble Monkey Superstar', featuring a narrator with cerebral palsy based on Jon's son, was shortlisted for the Lollies (Laugh Out Loud awards).{{Cite web |title=Announcing the Lollies shortlist! |url=https://www.scholastic.co.uk/blog/Announcing-the-Lollies-shortlist-34749 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=Scholastic Blog |language=en}} 'Thimble Monkey Superstar', published by Cardiff's Firefly Press,{{cite web |url=http://www.fireflypress.co.uk/ |title = Firefly Press: Independent UK Children's & YA Book Publisher}} was the eighth of Jon's books to be illustrated by Martin Chatterton.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldofchatterton.com/ |title = Martin Chatterton}} 'Thimble Monkey Superstar' was followed by 'Thimble Holiday Havoc' in 2017 and 'Thimble Wonga Bonkers' 2020. These were all turned into audio books in 2021, read by an actor who also has cerebral palsy, Zak Ford-Williams.

Jon is particularly noted for original and anarchic humour,{{Cite web |title=Blake, Jon 1954– {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/children/scholarly-magazines/blake-jon-1954 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}} typified by "Stinky Finger's House of Fun" and the subsequent "House of Fun" series illustrated by David Roberts. However, he has also written radical young adult fiction, such as anti-privatisation thriller "The Last Free Cat".{{cite web |url=https://feela.wordpress.com/reviews/ |title = Reviews – The Last Free Cat|date = 11 March 2008}} and an adult novel, '69ers', based on the 1969 (Bob Dylan) Isle of Wight Festival.{{cite web |url=https://iow69.wordpress.com/ |title=Home |website=iow69.wordpress.com}}