AHRC Knowledge Transfer Partnership enhances new Michael Morpurgo exhibition
An exhibition exploring the life and work of one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors is being enhanced by an AHRC Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).
Michael Morpurgo: A Lifetime in Stories is on show at Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle, before touring nationally.
The exhibition is based around Michael’s archive, which Newcastle University research associate Dr Jessica Medhurst has been working on, supervised by Dr Anne Whitehead and Dr Lucy Pearson from the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. Dr Medhurst has helped to uncover hidden treasures in his archive, which was donated to Seven Stories last year, and her efforts have supported the curation of the exhibition.
The KTP – where businesses work with universities to innovate – is believed to be the first of its kind between a university English department and an external organisation.
Dr. Medhurst explains: “The Knowledge Transfer Partnership has presented the opportunity to experiment with the ways in which academic research can inform and contribute to a public exhibition. Looking at Michael’s archive with the needs of Seven Stories’ exhibition and visitors in mind has turned the idea of public engagement on its head – it has shaped the research agenda of the project rather than coming out of it.”
The exhibition showcases the original notebooks and manuscripts behind Michael’s stories, including Private Peaceful, Kensuke’s Kingdom and The Butterfly Lion. A handwritten draft of War Horse is on display for the first time, showing how the story evolved from first draft to publication of the book, to adaptation for the National Theatre and Steven Spielberg film scripts.
Michael Morpurgo, a former Children’s Laureate, said he was ‘enchanted and moved’ by the exhibition at Seven Stories. “There’s no other place in the country which understands the importance of literature for children as well as this place does.”
The KTP is funded by InnovateUK and the AHRC and is supported by the Arts Council England funded Vital North Partnership between Seven Stories and Newcastle University.
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Michael Morpurgo about Michael MorpurgoAward-winning children’s author Michael Morpurgo visits the exhibition at Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books. AHRC Knowledge Transfer Partnership Research Associate Dr Jessica Medhurst has been exploring Michael’s archive and supporting Seven Stories’ curators. Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children’s Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
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War Horse about War HorseMichael’s handwritten draft of Chapter 8 of War Horse (1982), on display for the first time in the Michael Morpurgo: A Lifetime in Stories exhibition. The displays show how the story evolved from first draft to publication of the book, to adaptation for the National Theatre and Steven Spielberg film scripts. Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children’s Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
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Kensuke's Kingdom about Kensuke's KingdomA young visitor to Seven Stories explores Michael’s notebooks for Kensuke’s Kingdom (1999), one of over 150 books Michael has written for children. Michael wrote the story after he received a letter from a fan asking him to write a story about a boy stranded on a desert island. Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children’s Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
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Michael and his illustrators about Michael and his illustratorsA Storycatcher engages with visitors in the Michael Morpurgo: A Lifetime of Stories gallery. The exhibition has a section dedicated to illustrators of Michael's books, where artwork by Sir Quentin Blake, Michael Foreman and Patrick Benson is on display. Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children's Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
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Original manuscripts about Original manuscriptsVisitors have the opportunity to view handwritten drafts and typescripts from Listen to the Moon (2014), which tells the story of Lucy, a young girl who is washed up on the Scilly Isles during World War One, unable to speak. The novel explores the power of communication and the threat of silence. Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children's Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
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Michael's orange notebooks about Michael's orange notebooksOrange school notebooks are an important repository for Michael's first ideas and drafts. On the cover of this Private Peaceful (2003) notebook, Michael notes how many words he's written each day as he develops the story. Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children's Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
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Dream Time about Dream Time“The more time you spend in ‘dream time’ living in your head where the story is, imagining how the people involved would feel – then you can lose yourself utterly in the story. That’s what I try to do.” Michael Morpurgo Image: Seven Stories: National Centre for Children’s Books, photography by Rich Kenworthy.
