Kate DiCamillo – American children’s author, known for Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, both award-winning and adapted for film. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Florida, she began writing while working in a bookshop. Her stories are tender and wise, where children and animals embody lessons of love, loss and wonder.
✨ Because of Winn-Dixie earned her a National Book Award honour. 📚 The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses both won Newbery Medals. 🎬 Several novels adapted into successful films. 🌟 Twice served as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature in the US. 🖋️ Says children’s books should give readers the sense of being truly seen. 🐭 Frequently writes animal protagonists as mirrors of human emotion. 🎓 Studied English at the University of Florida. ☀️ Childhood illness kept her indoors, books became her world. 🙃 Quirk: her first manuscript was rejected more than 400 times. 😄 Amusing: jokes her dog “edits” chapters by barking at the pages.