Michael Morpurgo Quotes

Powerful Michael Morpurgo for Daily Growth

About Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL (born October 5, 1943), is a renowned British writer of novels, poems, and plays for children and adults. His stories are known for their compassionate exploration of the complexities of human emotions, often intertwined with historical events and animal tales. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, Morpurgo was the youngest of four children. Growing up on a diet of Enid Blyton and J.R.R. Tolkien, he developed an early love for storytelling. After serving in the British Army for six years, Morpurgo studied English at Exeter University, which further fueled his passion for literature. In 1976, Michael Morpurgo published his first novel, "Where My Wellies Take Me," a semi-autobiographical account of his childhood. However, it was the publication of "War Horse" in 1982 that catapulted him into international fame. Adapted into an award-winning play by Nick Stafford and a successful film by Steven Spielberg, "War Horse" tells the story of a young boy's beloved horse, Joey, who is sent to the front lines of World War I. Morpurgo's other notable works include "Private Peaceful," "The Butterfly Lion," and "Kensuke's Kingdom." He has written over 150 books, earning him numerous awards such as the Whitbread Award, the Blue Peter Book Award, and the Smarties Prize. In addition to his writing career, Morpurgo is a passionate supporter of animal rights and was the president of the International Fund for Animal Welfare from 2008 to 2013. He continues to write stories that captivate readers of all ages with their poignant narratives and unforgettable characters.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"If you want to catch a dream, a dream's not a fish."

This quote suggests that dreams are intangible and cannot be captured or possessed like a fish in a net. Dreams represent aspirations, hopes, and ambitions, which are personal and subjective; they exist within one's mind and heart. Trying to 'catch' a dream implies an attempt to control or materialize it, but dreams, by their very nature, elude such attempts because they represent the unknown and the unattainable. Instead, one should strive to pursue their dreams, letting them inspire and guide them on their journey through life.


"We are all stories, in the end, just our own lives written in words. The great thing is that everyone gets to tell a story."

Michael Morpurgo's quote emphasizes that every individual has a unique life story, and we each get to author our own narrative. This perspective underscores the human capacity for self-expression and resilience, as well as the understanding that everyone's experiences shape their identity and contribute to the richness of humanity as a whole. By acknowledging the power of personal narratives, Morpurgo encourages us to embrace our individual stories and share them with others, fostering empathy, connection, and collective growth.


"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms."

This quote by Michael Morpurgo emphasizes the unique bond between humans and animals, suggesting that animals offer comfort and companionship without judgment or criticism. They provide an unconditional friendship, making them agreeable and comforting friends for people who may find solace in their presence. It also underscores the simplicity of animal relationships as they are free from the complexities often found in human interactions.


"I believe that every animal soul enters into a new body at the moment of its birth, and so carries with it all the memories and emotions of all the other lives it has ever lived."

This quote suggests a reincarnation-like concept applied to animals, where each newborn creature retains the memories, experiences, and emotions from all their previous lives. It implies a continuity and interconnectedness between different incarnations of the same animal soul, fostering empathy and understanding towards other species due to our shared past lives.


"It's amazing what you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."

This quote emphasizes the importance of prioritizing actions over personal recognition or glory. It suggests that individuals, when focused on achieving a goal, should be willing to work together without worrying about who receives the credit. This selfless attitude can lead to remarkable accomplishments, as it allows people to collaborate effectively and overcome challenges more efficiently. The quote encourages us to value teamwork and collective effort over individual accolades, which is essential for creating a harmonious and productive society.


A notion for a story is for me a confluence of real events, historical perhaps, or from my own memory to create an exciting fusion.

- Michael Morpurgo

Memory, Own, Confluence, My Own

Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at the end of every tunnel.

- Michael Morpurgo

Happy, Some, However, Story

It is the child's understanding that teaches the adults the way of the future. They're still doing it today with modern technology.

- Michael Morpurgo

Technology, Doing, Still, Adult

Only the best books are special. Why? Because they open our eyes, touch us, excite us, extend us.

- Michael Morpurgo

Why, Touch, Excite, Extend

I was an overly young father, is the most polite way of putting it. I think I was rather immature and all I can say is that I think I've made a much better grandfather... I don't think I was ready to be a father to be honest.

- Michael Morpurgo

Think, I Think, Polite, Overly

If I'm serious, yes, I'd like to have done what Shakespeare did... to act and write. You learn so much from acting. One of our great writers, Alan Bennett, does both supremely well. When I write a story, I tend to speak it aloud as I'm writing it.

- Michael Morpurgo

I Write, Our, Tend, Supremely

Paying more heed to the lessons of the past might teach us to be a little more cautious about some of the political decisions taken today.

- Michael Morpurgo

Past, More, Some, Decisions

It is really important that focusing on things such as spelling, punctuation, grammar and handwriting doesn't inhibit the creative flow. When I was at school there was a huge focus on copying and testing and it put me off words and stories for years.

- Michael Morpurgo

Focus, Years, Put, Handwriting

There is the myth that writing books for children is easier than writing books for grownups, whereas we know that truly great books for children are works of genius, whether it's 'Alice in Wonderland' or the 'Gruffalo' or 'Northern Lights.' When it's a great book, it's a great book, whether it's for children or not.

- Michael Morpurgo

Book, Works, Alice, Grownups

It gives me confidence to know that what I'm writing has a veracity of its own without me having to invent it. When I'm writing fiction, I must believe it to be true, or I can see no point in it.

- Michael Morpurgo

Confidence, Fiction, Having, Veracity

I was never a great reader, but there were two stories I loved best: Kipling's 'The Elephant's Child' and 'The Jungle Book.' Deep down, I've always wanted to write a book about a wild child and an elephant.

- Michael Morpurgo

Deep, Always, Stories, Jungle

As a young child my attention span was, as I remember it, rather short.

- Michael Morpurgo

Remember, Young, I Remember, Attention Span

Characters are the key to a good book. It took me several novels to comprehend that.

- Michael Morpurgo

Comprehend, Characters, Took, Novels

I was brought up, as a lot of kids are, on 'Aesop's Fables,' 'Brothers Grimm,' 'La Fontaine,' all those sorts of things. Hans Christian Andersen is a hero of mine.

- Michael Morpurgo

Fables, Mine, Brought, La

Something I learn every time I stand in front of a bunch of children, I learn never, never to underestimate them or patronise them.

- Michael Morpurgo

Learn, Something, Them, Every Time

Perhaps it is partly that we need to love books ourselves as parents, grandparents and teachers in order to pass on that passion for stories to our children. It's not about testing and reading schemes, but about loving stories and passing on that passion to our children.

- Michael Morpurgo

Love, Need, Stories, Passing

When children are very young, you read them books that are positive to help them go to sleep. But there comes a moment when they begin to understand the difficulties of the world. They know there are problems and the books they read should reflect that, not gloss over them.

- Michael Morpurgo

Moment, Young, Very, Gloss

By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go. I tell it as if I'm talking to my best friend or one of my grandchildren.

- Michael Morpurgo

Tell, Blank, By The Time, Sit

The most important thing is to live an interesting life. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open. Talk to people and visit interesting places, and don't forget to ask questions. To be a writer you need to drink in the world around you so it's always there in your head.

- Michael Morpurgo

Questions, Important Thing, Open

A lot of children, like I did, move away from words because of the fear - which is something you have to take out of education: the fear of worrying about what marks you'll get, detention, worrying about letting people down, your parents, teachers.

- Michael Morpurgo

Education, Away, About, Marks

You get to about 65 or 70 and you lose friends and the world does seem to be an endlessly difficult place and tragic place, so it's more and more difficult for me to find the bright lights.

- Michael Morpurgo

Endlessly, Bright Lights, Lights

Some writers - most, I suspect - write in isolation. I think I'd always found that quite difficult.

- Michael Morpurgo

Think, Some, Always, Suspect

I was rather a poor student, too easily distracted - did a lot of gazing out of windows, fine for training to be a writer, but not a great way to achieve in the classroom. The truth is that I was happy to bumble along and do enough to avoid detention, but not much more.

- Michael Morpurgo

Student, Rather, Great Way, Distracted

I really can't write fantasy. I cannot invent a world which does not exist. And I can't read fantasy either. As soon as I realise I'm reading a book that hasn't got its roots in a reality I can comprehend, I switch off.

- Michael Morpurgo

Book, Got, Comprehend, Switch

One of the great failings of our education system is that we tend to focus on those who are succeeding in exams, and there are plenty of them. But what we should also be looking at, and a lot more urgently, is those who fail.

- Michael Morpurgo

Education, Focus, More, Exams

Read a lot - poems, prose, stories, newspapers, anything. Read books and poems that you think you will like and some that you think might not be for you. You might be surprised.

- Michael Morpurgo

Think, Some, Prose, Surprised

Access to books and the encouragement of the habit of reading: these two things are the first and most necessary steps in education and librarians, teachers and parents all over the country know it. It is our children's right and it is also our best hope and their best hope for the future.

- Michael Morpurgo

Education, Country, Access, Encouragement

You know, I really wish now I'd had the nerve to become an actor. Because I'd have been Robert Redford, no question.

- Michael Morpurgo

Question, Been, No Question, Nerve

When I write I try as far as possible to forget I'm writing it at all. I tell it down onto the page, as if I'm telling it to one person only, my best friend.

- Michael Morpurgo

Tell, Telling, I Write, As Far As

Admitting failure is quite cleansing, but never - pleasurable.

- Michael Morpurgo

Failure, Never, Pleasurable, Admitting

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