Richmal Crompton was born in Lancashire in 1890. The first story about William Brown appeared in Home magazine in 1919, and the first collection of William stories was published in book form three years later. In all, 38 William books were published, the last one in 1970, after Richmal Crompton's death. Frank Cottrell Boyce is an award-winning screenwriter and children's novelist. His debut novel, Millions, won the Carnegie Medal and was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. He is also the author of Framed and The Unforgotten Coat, which was shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Children's Book Award and won the 2012 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Thomas Henry (1879-1962) was an English illustrator best known for his illustrations of the Just William series.