Author Biography |
I consider myself very fortunate indeed to have created a character which has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of so many children worldwide. They are my family, and Spot belongs to them all. |
Eric Gordon Hill- Graphic designer and Illustrator
Born September 7th, 1927 in Holloway, London, United Kingdom
Married first to Barbara (divorced; one daughter- Jane), second to Gillian (one son- Christopher)
Deceased June 6, 2014 Templeton, California
(Williamson, 2014)
Hill attended Pooles Park Elementary and Tollington Park Central schools until World War II began. Then at the age of twelve, prior to the outbreak of hostilities, he and his family were made to evacuate London to live in a small village of Bluntisham in Huntingtonshire. Soon after, he returned to London, quitting school at age fifteen to start his first job in the city at a shipping office (Eric Hill fact file, 2010).
Eric Hill first created the Spot books for his two year old son Christopher in 1976. In 1980, ‘Where’s Spot?’ was published (Eric Hill fact file, 2010). It was after the invention and creation of this successful lift-the-flap book that he decided to become a writer full time. His works have been credited and praised worldwide for their contributions to child literacy (Books by Eric Hill, 2004). Since the publication of his books, Hill has sold over 60 million copies and has since had his works translated into over 60 different languages (Williamson, 2014).
Hill continued to publish books and in 1986, King Rollo Films of the BBC, produced a series of television adaptations of thirteen of his Spot books. The educational program called ‘Fun to Learn with Spot’ aired in 1990 (Williamson, 2014).
In 2008 Hill was awarded the OBE (The Most Excellent) Order of the British Empire for his service in child literature (Eric Hill, 1995).
The award recognizes “distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds” (Order of the British Empire, n.d.).
In Williamson’s article on the life of Eric Hill, he quotes Hill on the focus of his books. Hill remarks on the simplicity of his drawings. He says that what drove him to publish these titles was his need to acknowledge that children have far more intelligence and style than many adults credit them with. This emphasized his belief that children all have a basic creativity which needs to be encouraged and nurtured and the Spot books seem to provide that encouragement (2014).
"Eric's ingenious lift-the-flap device turned the reading of a Spot book into a glorious game of hide and seek, enjoyed by children and adults alike," said his publisher Puffin Books.
(Spot the Dog creator Eric Hill dies aged 86, 2014)
(Spot the Dog creator Eric Hill dies aged 86, 2014)