Jill Barklem (born Gillian Gaze; 23 May 1951 – 15 November 2017) was a British writer and illustrator of children's books. Her most famous work is the Brambly Hedge series, published from 1980.

Early life

Jill Barklem was born as Gillian Gaze in Epping on 23 May 1951. She was the daughter of John and Ivy Gaze, who ran a family-owned department store in the town. Educated at Loughton High School, after an accident when she was thirteen resulting in a detached retina, she was unable to take part in PE or games at school and instead developed her talent for drawing and art. On leaving school, she studied illustration at St Martin's in London.

Illustrator

After graduating she became an illustrator for children's bibles and a series of collections of prayers and graces. Under her maiden name, she illustrated the Haffertee Hamster books by Janet and John Perkins. Her husband suggested that she turn her ideas conceived while commuting on the train journey to art school for a story about hedgerow life into a book. Barklem used this time to research English customs, flora, and other geographical and cultural details for her Brambly Hedge stories. The first four books were published in 1980, each representing one of the four seasons. These four were originally released as individual volumes in a miniature format. She wrote four more for the series, the last being published in 1994. Barklem's books became immensely popular, selling over seven million copies worldwide and printed in over 13 languages. The Brambly Hedge characters went on to feature in merchandise, such as cards, Royal Doulton china, and a stop-motion animated series, The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge (1996 to 2000).

Family life and death

Jill married David Barklem, an antiques dealer, in 1977. The couple went on to have a son and a daughter. She died of pneumonia aged 66 on November 15, 2017.

Works

Brambly Hedge Series

Collections

Brambly Hedge books by other authors

Other

Activity and "Toy and Moveable" books, include Primrose's Adventure (Brambly Hedge Sliding Pictures) and Wilfred's Birthday Sliding Pictures; some board books, such as House for a Mouse, Nice for Mice, and The Snow Ball; and Poppy and Dusty's Wedding.