Jill Barklem
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.
Also recorded as Gillian Gaze
Jill Barklem
- Full name
- Gillian Gaze.
- Born
- 1951. · Epping.
- Died
- 2017. · London.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom.
- Occupation
- writer and illustrator.
- Education
- Saint Martin's School of Art.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
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.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q6192740 · wikipedia · Jill Barklem
In this article
Early life
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. She was educated at Loughton High School. When she was 13, she had an accident which resulted in a detached retina. As such, 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.
Family life and death
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 15 November 2017.
Brambly Hedge Series
Brambly Hedge Series
• Spring Story (1980) • Summer Story (1980) • Autumn Story (1980) • Winter Story (1980) • The Secret Staircase (1983) • The High Hills (1986) • Sea Story (1990) • Poppy's Babies (1994)
Other
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.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1951
Jill Barklem was born in 1951 at Epping.
2017
Jill Barklem died in 2017 at London.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Pin Mill.
Residences
Epping.
Birth place
London.
Death place
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 for a story about hedgerow life, conceived while commuting on the train journey to art school, 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).
Collections
Collections
• The Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge (1988) contains the 4 seasonal titles and a 20-page "conversation" with the author about the origins and developments of the stories. • Tales from Brambly Hedge (1997) contains the other 4 original titles: Staircase, Sea, Hills and Babies. • Adventures of the Mice of Brambly Hedge (1998) is a joint publication version of Autumn Story and Sea Story. • The Mice of Brambly Hedge Celebrate (1998) is a joint publication version of Winter Story and Secret Staircase. • Outings for the Mice of Brambly Hedge (1999) is a joint publication version of Spring Story and The High Hills. • Baby Mice in Brambly Hedge (1999) is a joint publication version of Summer Story and Poppy's Babies. • A Visit to Brambly Hedge (2000) is a 20th anniversary special background information book. • A Year In Brambly Hedge (2010) is a 30th anniversary special containing the 4 seasonal titles.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Jill Barklem”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q6192740: Jill Barklem
General reference · Wikidata
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Obituaries - Jill Barklem. The Daily Telegraph. 31. 21 November 2017.
- 2.Jill Barklem obituary. The Guardian. 2017-11-29.
- 3.Wallwork, Ellen. 'Brambly Hedge' Creator Jill Barklem Dies Aged 66. Huffington Post.
- 4.Barklem, Jill 1951- Encyclopedia.com. www.encyclopedia.com.
- 5.Audet, Marye. Brambly Hedge China. LoveToKnow.
- 6.Lizzie Sanders (1944 - 2020). BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS.
- 7.Primrose In Charge. www.goodreads.com.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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