“I think when people have a hard time, as I and my parents did, you fall back on humour,” said the 94-year-old Judith Kerr, who fled from Nazi Germany in 1933, when asked about the role of comedy in her life.
Her creation The Tiger who Came to Tea celebrated its fiftieth anniversary at Hay, and in her discussion with Clemency Burton-Hill, Kerr spoke about growing up in pre-World War Two Berlin, her life as a refugee in the UK and the origin of her stories.
The renowned author mentioned how she juxtaposes the hostility endured by her family with the safe environment in which she portrays her characters. Her most famous work tells the story of a tiger who invites himself to Sophie’s house, only to drink all her tea and eat anything he can find. It originated as a bedtime tale for her daughter.
Kerr recalled the warm welcome she and her family received once they had resettled in Britain, including a scholarship and a subsidy that helped then financially.
“I tend to write about the things I can draw,” she said.
The audience learned about the author’s love for her cats, Mog and Katinka, and that her ability to illustrate cats played a significant role in her storytelling.
If you missed this, you might like to go to event number HD46, AF Harrold, at 10 am on Wednesday 30 May.