Paul Linnet (born April 1968) is an English author and illustrator based in
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
.
Along with British author and illustrator
Sue Hendra
Suzanne Francis Hendra (born 15 August 1973) is a British writer and illustrator of over 100 books for children, many co-written with Paul Linnet, including ''Barry the Fish with Fingers''. Her books ''Wanda and the Alien'' and ''Supertato'' hav ...
, Linnet has published over 100 children's books.
Linnet is a regular guest at
Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is a book festival that takes place during two weeks in August every year in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. Described as ''The largest festival of its kind in the world'', the festival hosts ...
and the International Literature Festival Dublin.
Work
Sue Hendra
Suzanne Francis Hendra (born 15 August 1973) is a British writer and illustrator of over 100 books for children, many co-written with Paul Linnet, including ''Barry the Fish with Fingers''. Her books ''Wanda and the Alien'' and ''Supertato'' hav ...
and Linnet's children's books include ''Barry the Fish With Fingers'', ''Egg'', and the series of Supertato books,
the first of which has sold over a million copies.
Linnet and Hendra wrote ''Supertato: Hap-Pea Ever After'' for pre-school children in 2016 for
World Book Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright ...
, and a handmade book in 2023 titled ''The Story of a Story'' for the
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
The Supertato books topped the children's book charts in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and ''The Guardian'' described Supertato as "an absolute juggernaut of a book, beloved by kids to the point of hysteria."
Linnet and Hendra's Supertato discovered a new audience when
Tom Hiddleston
Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is a British actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with ''Thor (film), Thor'' in 2011 and incl ...
read one of their books on
CBeebies
CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...
Bedtime Stories.
In 2022 Supertato was turned into a series for
CBeebies
CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...
on
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. In late 2023, a range of Supertato merchandise for A/W 2024 was announced via
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
.
In March 2024, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Supertato books, a special edition logo and book was released
In September 2024, Linnet said he was honoured that one of the Supertato books would be adapted for visually impaired children by accessible book publisher Living Paintings, and read by
Greg James
Gregory James Alan Milward (born 17 December 1985) is an English broadcaster and author. He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 1 since 2007, hosting shows including his old drive-time show and the station's flagship breakfast show.
Since 201 ...
Awards and honors
''Books Are Rubbish!'' was a ''
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' best seller.
Selected publications
Supertato books
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Standalone books
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References
External links
Supertato and Friends official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linnet, Paul
1968 births
Living people