From beloved writer Michael Morpurgo, comes a new collection of reflections, memoir, stories and wonder.

'A beautiful, thoughtful book that brims with joy' KATE MOSSE
'Suffused with gentle optimism and warmth' TELEGRAPH

A story is like a kite. If I make it right, if I fly it right, it will swoop and soar. And it will please my heart when it's up there, floating on the wind.

In Funny Thing, Getting Older, one of our most beloved novelists shares his reflections from a lifetime of writing stories about the world. Here, collected for the first time on Michael's 82nd birthday, are his thoughts on nature, childhood, writing, peace and war, and getting older. Some are deeply personal, some political, others in between. And woven in amongst them you will find a play, a poem or two, and even a few stories.

Full of wonder, gentle humour and sharp observation, Funny Thing, Getting Older is a book to treasure.

'Our master storyteller' JOANNA LUMLEY
'He sees things clearly and writes about them well... We are all the richer for what he sees.' PHILIP PULLMAN

'A beautiful, reflective, thoughtful book brimming with the joy of nature, the importance of our respect and stewardship of the world around us, but also witty and clear-sighted about the power of writing, of words and of education being what transforms us. A marvellous read from a National Treasure.' -- KATE MOSSE
'Our master storyteller' -- JOANNA LUMLEY
'He sees things clearly and writes about them well... We are all the richer for what he sees' -- PHILIP PULLMAN
Suffused with gentle optimism and warmth * Telegraph *

Michael Morpurgo is the award-winning author of more than 150 books, including Private Peaceful, Kensuke's Kingdom and War Horse, which became the most successful play in the National Theatre's history and a Golden Globe-nominated film directed by Steven Spielberg. He has won many literary prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Writers' Guild Award, the Whitbread Award, and the Eleanor Farjeon Lifetime Achievement Award. Michael was Children's Laureate from 2003-2005, a role that took him across Britain to inspire a love of reading in children. Michael and his wife Clare founded Farms for City Children in 1976 at Nethercott Farm in Devon, and Michael has called the project his 'greatest story'. They aim to expand the horizons of children from towns and cities all over the country by offering them a week in the countryside living together on one of their farms.