My First Job: Michael Morpurgo, recent Children's Laureate, recalls his days as a soldier

Jonathan Sale
Thursday 08 December 2005 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Michael Morpurgo, children's author, was an officer-cadet at Sandhurst.

"I should have been a Field Marshal by now!" he laughs. Instead, he is the author of 107 books and, in May, finished his two-years as Children's Laureate. It is not other ranks, but ranks of children, that he will be addressing next week at the Unicorn Theatre in London and at Glamorgan University's GlamLit festival.

The nearest he gets to military matters these days is the touring play adapted by Bristol Old Vic and Scamp from his story Private Peaceful. At the Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham, this week, it tells of unjust executions in the First World War. But, as a teenager, Morpurgo liked marching in the corps of King's School, Canterbury.

Since he was "a frightfully good chap" and not gifted intellectually, he agreed with his stepfather and mother that the army would be just the thing. In 1962 he left school and went to Sandhurst. It was an invaluable experience. He was mixing with people from very different worlds: the more deprived parts of Glasgow, for example. Instead of today's bullying, he found the army a place of camaraderie and support.

Yet, within 24 hours, it hit him: "I knew that I did not want to spend my life playing at war." Soldiering was no longer a clear-cut matter of fighting evil Nazis. He married at 19, and his wife, the daughter of the Penguin founder Sir Allen Lane, also thought that the army was not the way to spend one's life. Halfway through the two-year course he decided to beat a strategic retreat from Sandhurst.

"I told my company commander of my decision and had to go before a board of five or six officers who did their best to persuade me to stay. I found it very painful." Yet he had made up his mind. Instantly the exit procedure was activated. He felt as if banished from a family.

He went to university and became a teacher and, at 30, a children's writer. Oddly enough, he believes that for him the army was a safe option, a move from one structured environment (public school) to another. If he had been braver, he might have followed his parents onto the stage. "I'd probably have been a playwright - Shakespeare! - by now," he laughs.

Michael Morpurgo is appearing on Monday at the new Unicorn Theatre, London SE1, and on Wednesday at the GlamLit Festival, University of Glamorgan (details on 0870 990 1299)

jonty@jonathansale.com

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in