Jan Michal Pieńkowski, 1936–2022
Author, Illustrator
Jan Pieńkowski was born in Warsaw and was three years old in September 1939 when World War II began.
From 1944, the family moved through Bavaria, Austria and Italy, before settling in Leominster in 1946, where Pieńkowski attended Lucton School.
Pieńkowski is probably best known for illustrating the Meg and Mog books written by Helen Nicoll, and for his pop-up books including Haunted House.
He also designed sets for the stage.
Jan Pieńkowski was born in Warsaw to Jerzy, a farm manager, and Wanda (née Garlicka), a scientist. He was three years old in September 1939 when World War II began in Europe with the invasion of Poland. He was in an air-raid shelter during a Nazi firebomb attack, when a Polish insurgent showed him paper cut-out techniques. He later used these in over 150 picture books. From 1944, the family moved through Bavaria, Austria and Italy, before settling in the Barons Cross Camp, Leominster (see also Walenty Pytel) in 1946, where Pieńkowski attended Lucton School.
At the age of 10, he could not speak any English. However, a year later he passed his Eleven-Plus exam and attended the Cardinal Vaughan School in London and later read English Classics at King’s College, Cambridge. After leaving university, he founded the Gallery Five greeting cards company with his agent, Angela Holder. He began illustrating children’s books in his spare time but soon found it taking all his time.
In 1968, Pieńkowski began working with children’s author Joan Aiken. He won the annual Kate Greenaway Medal for their 1971 book, The Kingdom Under the Sea and other stories (Jonathan Cape), eleven “fairy tales from Eastern Europe and Russia” retold by Aiken. Several other awards followed.
In 1969, Pieńkowski designed a trophy for the Booker Prize. Although the statuette was out of use for many years, after his death it was reinstated in his honour.
Pieńkowski is probably best known for illustrating the Meg and Mog books written by Helen Nicoll, and for his pop-up books including Haunted House, Robot, Dinner Time, Good Night and 17 others. Haunted House has sold more than a million copies in 13 languages to nearly 30 countries worldwide.
Pieńkowski had a lifelong interest in stage design. He was commissioned to provide designs for Théâtre de Complicité, Beauty and the Beast for the Royal Ballet, and Sleeping Beauty at Disneyland Paris.
Pieńkowski lived and worked in Barnes, London, with his partner David Walser. He died on 19 February 2022, at the age of 85.
