Allan Ahlberg was a British children’s author whose work shaped picture books for generations of young readers. He wrote more than 150 titles, among them The Jolly Postman (1991), Funny Bones (1980), Peepo! (1981) and Each Peach Pear Plum (1978).
Each Peach Pear Plum won the Kate Greenaway Medal, while The Jolly Christmas Postman (1991) brought a second Greenaway Medal for illustrator Janet Ahlberg. The Jolly Postman also won the Kurt Maschler Award and sold over six million copies worldwide.
Allan Ahlberg was born in Croydon in 1938 and raised in Oldbury by adoptive parents. Before entering teaching he worked as a postman, plumber and gravedigger. He trained at Sunderland Teacher Training College, where he met Janet Hall, later his wife and closest collaborator. Together they published their first book in 1975, Here are the Brick Street Boys. Many more followed, including Burglar Bill (1977) and the award-winning Each Peach Pear Plum (1978).
Their joint books combined simple text with inventive illustrations, winning a wide readership. Fellow author Michael Rosen later called Ahlberg “a pioneer of great children’s literature, both in picture books and poetry.”
Francesca Dow of Penguin Random House described the works as “mini masterpieces” and said, “Allan’s are some of the very best — true classics, which will be loved by children and families for years to come.”
Beyond his partnership with Janet, who died in 1994, Allan Ahlberg continued to write extensively. His book Woof! (1986), about a boy who turns into a dog, inspired an ITV television series which ran from 1989 to 1997. Later titles included The Runaway Dinner (2003) illustrated by Bruce Ingman, Half a Pig (2004), illustrated by his daughter, Jessica; and the Gaskitts series, illustrated by Katharine McEwen.
Ahlberg’s reputation rested on humour, clarity and rhythm in his writing. In 2014, he declined a lifetime achievement award when he learned it was sponsored by Amazon, citing concerns over the company’s tax practices. He spent his later years in Bath with his second wife, Vanessa.
Allan Ahlberg died in 2025 at the age of 87.
Each Peach Pear Plum won the Kate Greenaway Medal, while The Jolly Christmas Postman (1991) brought a second Greenaway Medal for illustrator Janet Ahlberg. The Jolly Postman also won the Kurt Maschler Award and sold over six million copies worldwide.
Allan Ahlberg was born in Croydon in 1938 and raised in Oldbury by adoptive parents. Before entering teaching he worked as a postman, plumber and gravedigger. He trained at Sunderland Teacher Training College, where he met Janet Hall, later his wife and closest collaborator. Together they published their first book in 1975, Here are the Brick Street Boys. Many more followed, including Burglar Bill (1977) and the award-winning Each Peach Pear Plum (1978).
Their joint books combined simple text with inventive illustrations, winning a wide readership. Fellow author Michael Rosen later called Ahlberg “a pioneer of great children’s literature, both in picture books and poetry.”
Francesca Dow of Penguin Random House described the works as “mini masterpieces” and said, “Allan’s are some of the very best — true classics, which will be loved by children and families for years to come.”
Beyond his partnership with Janet, who died in 1994, Allan Ahlberg continued to write extensively. His book Woof! (1986), about a boy who turns into a dog, inspired an ITV television series which ran from 1989 to 1997. Later titles included The Runaway Dinner (2003) illustrated by Bruce Ingman, Half a Pig (2004), illustrated by his daughter, Jessica; and the Gaskitts series, illustrated by Katharine McEwen.
Ahlberg’s reputation rested on humour, clarity and rhythm in his writing. In 2014, he declined a lifetime achievement award when he learned it was sponsored by Amazon, citing concerns over the company’s tax practices. He spent his later years in Bath with his second wife, Vanessa.
Allan Ahlberg died in 2025 at the age of 87.
years of life: 5 June 1938 – 31 July 2025
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