University of Brighton awards honorary doctorate to UK children’s laureate

Children's laureate Cressida Cowell. Photograph: Simon Dack

The best-selling author and illustrator, who studied MA narrative illustration at the university, received the ‘incredible honour’ at the Brighton Centre on Friday (February 7).

She was presented with the honorary degree from vice chancellor professor Debra Humphris.

Pro-vice chancellor for academic operations professor Andrew Lloyd listed her accolades and awards in his introductory speech.

Children's laureate Cressida Cowell receives an honorary doctorate from the University of Brighton. Photograph: Simon Dack

Cowell said: “Thank you so much – I feel quite tearful actually.

“It sounded very good when you put it like that. Thank you so much for this incredible honour.”

Cowell, whose works include the How to Train Your Dragon books which have been adapted into a film and television series and The Wizards of Once series, is ambassador for the National Literacy Trust, a trustee for World Book Day and a founder patron of the Children’s Media Foundation.

She became the 11th children’s laureate in July last year and is the second University of Brighton graduate since 2015 to take on the role. Illustrator and writer Chris Riddell OBE, who studied graphic design at the university, was children’s laureate from 2015 to 2017.

At the ceremony, Cowell offered advice to those graduating.

She said: “Try and do what you are obsessed by, what you couldn’t live without doing – and then work won’t feel like work.

“In my case my obsession from a very early age was writing and illustrating children’s books and getting books into the hands of all children.”

She also advised those graduating ‘don’t panic’ and urged them to be creative and practical.

She said: “Go at your own pace and don’t look to left and right… it’s important to remember, it’s not a race. People’s lives careers go up and down so never compare yourself to anyone else.”

She added: “Meet deadlines. If you are ever struggling with a deadline think of William Shakespeare. In the single year of 1599 Shakespeare completed Henry V, wrote the whole of Julius Caesar and As You Like It, and drafted Hamlet.

“If he can do that while London has been shut down by the plague and his theatre is being burnt down round his ears you can definitely meet that deadline guys.”

She added: “Be thankful. Give back. People love to be thanked and this is an opportunity – for me – to thank the people who taught me when I was on the MA course at Brighton.

“It was incredibly inspirational.”