Francesca Simon

Francesca Isabella Simon (born 23 February 1955) is an American-British author who resides in North London.

She is most famous for writing the Horrid Henry series of children's books.

She is the daughter of screenwriter and playwright Mayo Simon (not to be confused with Simon Mayo, a British radio DJ).

Simon was born in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. She grew up in California and studied at Yale and Jesus College, Oxford, where she majored in medieval studies and Old English.

Simon worked as a journalist, writing for the Sunday Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph and Vogue (US).

She is married to an English husband, and has one son called Joshua (born 1985).

She often states that many of her Horrid Henry stories were inspired by her son.

Simon was inspired to write by Anthony Trollope.

She began to write children's books full-time in 1989.

Simon is one of the UK's best-selling children's writers; she has published over 50 different books, including her most popular series Horrid Henry series, which has sold over 25 million copies, and has been translated into 24 languages.

Simon lives in London with her husband, Martin, and her son.

In 2008, Simon won the British Book Award for British Book Award The Children's Book of the Year with Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman.

She is the first American to win this award.

Simon was awarded an MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours.

Simon was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to literature.

Their Tibetan spaniel, Shanti, is memorialized in the short story "Shanti" that Simon wrote for inclusion in the Paws and Whiskers anthology by fellow author Jacqueline Wilson published in February 2014.

In the spring of 2019 the Royal Opera House staged an opera based on Simon's book The Monstrous Child, about the Norse god of the dead, Hel, as an angry teenager.

The opera is composed by Gavin Higgins with libretto by Simon.