Terry Deary - Author

"Deary (is) the most influential historian in Britain today." So says the Daily Telegraph newspaper on 10 May 07

Terry Deary is the author of over 200 books in the UK (with a further 640 foreign editions) mainly for children and teenagers. His books have sold 25 million copies worldwide in 40 languages.

He was born in Sunderland, England, in 1946 and now lives in County Durham, in the North-east of England. Terry is a former actor, theatre-director and museum manager.

In 34 years as an author his writing has included fiction and popular non-fiction series (Horrible Histories, being the best-selling with over 20 million worldwide.) He also writes TV, theatre, radio audio and new media scripts.

In 2009 CBBC Television launched a major television series of his Horrible Histories as well as a computer game adaptation for Nintendo Wii, DS and PC.

In 1996 he was the best selling British children’s author and No.1 in the charts again in April 2009 while surveys made him the most-borrowed author of children’s non-fiction in Britain – with an astonishing 17 titles in the top 20 in 2001. In 1999 Books for Keeps magazine readers voted him “The Outstanding Children’s Non-Fiction Author Of The 20th Century”.

In the Blue Peter Book Awards 2001 and 2002 Terry won “Best Book of Knowledge of All Time” for his Horrible Histories Rotten Romans and Terrible Tudors.

Terry returned to writing for the theatre with Mad Millennium at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre in Summer 1999. In November 2002 he acted in a theatre production of his own musical Christmas show, Crackers Christmas at Barrow’s ‘Forum 28’ Theatre. A major series of theatre plays, Horrible Histories, have been created in collaboration with Birmingham Stage Company touring throughout 2006 - 09.

BBC Worldwide made a series of 10 x 1-hour audio Horrible Histories Audio CDs narrated by Terry. They were launched in October 2002 and in 2005 12 million of Terry’s CDs were released as a promotion in partnership with Kellogg’s cereals and these were followed with CDs for “Daily Telegraph” in 2006/7. The Horrible Histories books also feature as a best-selling international part-work magazines, The Horrible Histories Collection.

Terry also creates major Horrible Histories exhibitions for museums around Britain, breaking attendance records at every venue. In 2009/10 Imperial War Museum, London, are hosting a “Horrible Histories – Terrible Trenches” exhibition. He is hoping to create a Horrible Histories visitor attraction in his native north-east. In 2007 his exhibition at the Royal Armouries Leeds increased their visitor figures by 150%.

“The Fire Thief” is Terry’s most successful fiction series for the US and UK market, launched in January 2006. In the hardback edition alone it sold 100,000 in its first year and put Terry into the top 20 fiction charts. He is working on a film adaptation. His next major series Master Crook’s Crime Academy launched in 2009.

Terry has acted in Henry VIII’s wives, (broadcast BBC Learning in November 05) followed by his own 6-part documentary series for family viewing called “Terry Deary's Twisted Tales” (ITV northern regions June 06) which he wrote and presented. He presented the BBC Newcastle contribution to the “Building Britain” series in March 07, looking at the city of Durham and presented a programme on the Battle Of Towton for BBC “History of the World” project in April 2010. Terry wrote and recorded a twelve-part Terrible Tales of Wales radio programmes for BBC Wales in 2005/06.

His next projects are with Green Leaf Films in China to animate a 24-part worldwide television series “Terry Deary’s True Time Tales” as well as adapting his fiction for movies.

His charity work includes being patron of Single Homeless Action Initiative in Derwentside, Grace House Children’s Hospice appeal  and works with Beamish Museum where he raises money for disadvantaged children in the region. Terry was awarded a degree as Doctor of Education at Sunderland University in 2000 and is an ambassador for his home city of Sunderland.

Quote: “I do not like reading very much and my Mum is pleased that I have found some books I like so much that I read them without being asked!”           10 year old boy