Trish Cooke
http://www.trishcooke.co.uk/Trish Cooke was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, to parents from Dominica. Cooke developed a love of theater while still in primary school and went on to study at Leeds Polytechnic and Ilkley College, where she earned a BA in performing arts. As an actor in London, Cooke worked with theaters such as The Black Theater Co-op, The Liverpool Playhouse, and many community and educational theater troupes. In 1988, she won a Thames Television Writers Bursary, began a residency at the Liverpool Playhouse, and started as scriptwriter and presenter on the children’s BBC program Playdays.
Cooke’s numerous books for children include The Grandad Tree (2000, illustrated by Sharon Wilson); Catch! (2004, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max), which was shortlisted for the Nottingham Book Award; Full, Full, Full of Love (2004, illustrated by Paul Howard), shortlisted for the Sheffield Children’s Book Award; The Diary of a Young West Indian Immigrant (2001); How Anansi Got His Stories (2011, illustrated by Anna Violet); and Look Back! (2013, illustrated by Caroline Binch).
In addition to being an accomplished children’s book author, Cooke is a playwright and screenwriter who has written for television programs such as Eastenders and Doctors. BBC Radio 4 has produced a number of her dramas. Cooke’s stage plays include Back Street Mammy (first staged in 1989 and 1992)and Anansi Trades Places (2007). Her credits for the Theatre Royal Stratford East include Pinocchio (2005), Cinderella (2007), Aladdin (2009), and Red Riding Hood (2010).
Cooke’s numerous books for children include The Grandad Tree (2000, illustrated by Sharon Wilson); Catch! (2004, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max), which was shortlisted for the Nottingham Book Award; Full, Full, Full of Love (2004, illustrated by Paul Howard), shortlisted for the Sheffield Children’s Book Award; The Diary of a Young West Indian Immigrant (2001); How Anansi Got His Stories (2011, illustrated by Anna Violet); and Look Back! (2013, illustrated by Caroline Binch).
In addition to being an accomplished children’s book author, Cooke is a playwright and screenwriter who has written for television programs such as Eastenders and Doctors. BBC Radio 4 has produced a number of her dramas. Cooke’s stage plays include Back Street Mammy (first staged in 1989 and 1992)and Anansi Trades Places (2007). Her credits for the Theatre Royal Stratford East include Pinocchio (2005), Cinderella (2007), Aladdin (2009), and Red Riding Hood (2010).