Kate Pankhurst

Kate Pankhurst was raised in Liverpool, England.{{cite news|title=Illustrator draws inspiration from women who changed the world|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/illustrator-draws-inspiration-from-women-who-changed-the-world-1-8110654|access-date=18 November 2017|work=Yorkshire Post|date=7 September 2016}} She later credited an independent bookshop that she passed on the way to school as introducing her to books. Pankhurst was inspired by an issue of British comic The Beano to create her own comic, and after selling copies to her school friends, decided that she wanted to work in illustration when she grew older. Initially she sought to become a shoe designer, but while undertaking Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at the University of Central Lancashire in illustration, she realised that she could work as a children's book illustrator.{{cite web|title=About|date=14 October 2014|url=https://www.katepankhurst.com/about/|publisher=Kate Pankhurst.com|access-date=18 November 2017}}

After winning second place in the 2002 Macmillan Prize for Picture Book Illustration, she began working on the Mariella Mystery Investigates series. This was the published work which Pankhurst both wrote and illustrated. The series was acquired by Plum Pudding Illustration.{{cite news|last1=Williams|first1=Charlotte|title=Orion Children's acquires Pankhurst series|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/orion-childrens-acquires-pankhurst-series|access-date=18 November 2017|work=The Bookseller|date=17 July 2012}} She subsequently published through Bloomsbury.{{cite news|last1=Wood|first1=Heloise|title=Bloomsbury illustrators open up their sketchbooks|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/bloomsbury-illustrators-reveal-how-create-work-569666|access-date=18 November 2017|work=The Bookseller|date=14 June 2017}}

Her first non-fiction work Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World led Pankhurst to discover that she was distantly related to suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, whom she featured in the book. Although she thought for a period that there was no connection, another family member confirmed the link through her paternal line. Pankhurst said that she had enjoyed promoting lesser known stories of women in the book, such as Gertrude Ederle and her crossing of the English Channel. As part of promoting the book, she spoke at schools and talked of her writing process,{{cite news|title=Descendent of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurt visits Castle Newnham School|url=http://www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/descendent-of-suffragette-emmeline-pankhurt-visits-castle-newnham-school/story-30336308-detail/story.html|access-date=18 November 2017|work=Bedfordshire on Sunday|date=16 May 2017}}{{cite news|title=Pupils Hear Story From Descendent of Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst|url=http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/pupils-hear-story-from-descendent-of-suffragette-emmeline-pankhurst-1-7972076|access-date=19 January 2021|work=Bedford Today|date=22 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522190800/http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/pupils-hear-story-from-descendent-of-suffragette-emmeline-pankhurst-1-7972076|archive-date=2017-05-22}} as well as appearing at the WayWord festival in Chester.{{cite news|title=WayWord festival returns for February half term|url=http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/wayword-festival-returns-february-half-12449435|access-date=18 November 2017|work=Chester Chronicle|date=15 January 2017}} A follow-up book is due to be published in February 2018.

In 2021 it was announced a new musical based on the book will be opening in Southampton in November. The show includes songs by songwriter Miranda Cooper and Jennifer Decilveo and a book by Chris Bush (Standing at the Sky's Edge) and follows Jade who decides to leave class to meet some of the most iconic women from history such as Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and, of course, Emmeline Pankhurst.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-19 |title=New musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World to premiere this autumn |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/new-musical-fantastically-great-women-who-changed-the-world-to-premiere-this-autumn_53832/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-15 |title=Cast for Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World musical world premiere announced |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/cast-for-fantastically-great-women-who-changed-the-world-musical-world-premiere-announced_54911/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |language=en-US}} The show's UK tour started in 2021 and continued until 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World to return for new tour |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/fantastically-great-women-who-changed-the-world-to-return-for-new-tour_1507838/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |language=en-US}}

In addition to working as an illustrator, Pankhurst also works with teachers and children to share and inspire a love for reading and the stories of notable women."[https://www.katepankhurst.com/about/ About"] Kate Pankhurst.com. Retrieved 2 March 2022.

Pankhurst lives in Leeds with her family, and creates her books in a studio located in a former spinning mill.[https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/kate-pankhurst/3175 "Kate Pankhurst"]Pan Macmillan.com. Retrieved 2 March 2022. She has a dalmatian named Olive.

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Portal-inline |Children's literature}}
• {{official website|www.katepankhurst.com}}
• [https://fantasticallygreatwomenthemusical.com/ Fantastically Great Women musical official website]

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Category:Living people

Category:British children's book illustrators

Category:British women children's book illustrators

Category:English illustrators

Category:Alumni of the University of Central Lancashire

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Writers from Liverpool