Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 17 March 2011.
Kaye Webb, a journalist with no publishing experience, burst into the world of children's books in 1961 and changed the face of children's publishing forever. Her child-like enthusiasm and shrewd business mind led her to become Puffin's most successful editor and the genius behind the Puffin Club.
Kaye Webb, a journalist with no publishing experience, burst into the world of children's books in 1961 and changed the face of children's publishing forever. Her child-like enthusiasm and shrewd business mind led her to become Puffin's most successful editor and the genius behind the Puffin Club, which opened up the exciting world of authors and books to children across Britain. But whilst Kaye's professional life had worked out beautifully, her private life had been the reverse. Kaye had two husbands before her marriage to the artist Ronald Searle, and the torment of his sudden and shocking departure never left her. Yet to the outside world Kaye Webb remained passionate and unstoppable. This is the unknown story of the woman who brought the joy of books to children everywhere whilst battling the emotional pain that plagued her private life.
Valerie Grove writes a weekly column for The Times. As well as that of Laurie Lee, she has written a biography of the children's writer Dodie Smith, entitled Dear Dodie (Chatto, 1996) which was listed as one of the 12 finalists for the NCR Award. She is married to the journalist Trevor Grove, and lives in London. Her latest book is a biography of the author John Mortimer, A Voyage Around John Mortimer (Penguin, 2007).
