The Secret Staircase

Jill Barklem was born in Epping, The United Kingdom in 1951. She studied illustration at St Martin's School of Art in London. She was the author and illustrator of the Brambly Hedge series about a community of mice in the English countryside. Her books included Spring Story, Summer Story, Autumn Story, Winter Story, The Secret Staircase, The High Hills, Sea Story, and Poppy's Babies. In 1996, the stories were adapted into a television show. She died following a long illness on November 15, 2017 at the age of 66.

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