When a journalist approached an obscure author in 1999 and asked about her millennium wish, the 51-year-old writer—who had published just one book to that point—expressed hope that her forthcoming novel would become a classic. She immediately backtracked, worried about sounding arrogant and genuinely doubting the prediction would materialise.
That author was Julia Donaldson, and the book was The Gruffalo. Her modest wish proved spectacularly prescient. More than 18.2 million copies of The Gruffalo and its 2004 sequel, The Gruffalo's Child, have sold globally. Across the United Kingdom, Donaldson has sold over 50 million books, earning her recognition in 2025 as the nation's bestselling author across all genres—children's and adult combined—since records began. In June, she was appointed a dame in recognition of her literary achievements.
Now the Gruffalo universe is expanding once more. According to the official Gruffalo website, Gruffalo Granny arrived on 10 September 2026, marking the first new Gruffalo tale in more than two decades. Donaldson confirmed this will be the character's final outing. The story introduces Granny Gruffalo and follows the Gruffalo and his daughter as they await her visit. The mouse—central to the original narratives—takes centre stage again, alongside returning characters owl, fox and snake.
Who inspired the Gruffalo Granny character?
When meeting Donaldson in a central London hotel, the physical parallels between author and creation are striking. Her grey hair, styled in a neat bob curled at the ends, mirrors Granny Gruffalo's fur. She wears a blue floral dress and navy shoes; her twinkling smile suggests warmth, though one senses—like her character—she possesses hidden prickles when circumstances demand them. With nine grandchildren aged between five and 16, the connection seems obvious.
Yet Donaldson resists the comparison.
Not really. I'm the mouse.She explains that the new book celebrates storytelling itself.
The mouse tells stories, then the Gruffalo's child tells the stories to the granny, and the granny is going to read them back again. So there are three storytellers in the book – everyone apart from the Gruffalo.
The narrative structure draws inspiration from Shahrazad in The Arabian Nights, who preserves her life by never completing her tales. Rather than inventing entirely new stories, Donaldson incorporated references to her earlier works—Room on the Broom, Monkey Puzzle, and The Snail and the Whale—all adapted into films and widely recognised by her existing readership.
It works well because a lot of the people who read this book will already have read the ones I refer to.This approach also reduced the workload for longtime illustrator Axel Scheffler, who had already created the original artwork.
How dominant is Donaldson in children's publishing?
Donaldson occupies a near-monopoly in children's literature. A recent visit to a small airport bookshop revealed that every single picture book on display came from her pen. This dominance raises questions about whether she has inadvertently crowded out emerging talent and established competitors.
Donaldson acknowledges the concern with humour, joking that
some other author will stab me in the night, but the worry is genuine. To address it, she has launched a project for the National Year of Reading: compiling recommendations of picture books not authored by her. An announcement about the initiative is expected by year's end. She also bristles at the assumption that children's authors bear responsibility for advocating on reading and literacy issues.
An adult author isn't asked all the time about why libraries are important.Though she has campaigned extensively to preserve library funding, she resents what she perceives as a Victorian-era expectation that children's authors function primarily as educators rather than storytellers.
What role do grandchildren play in her work?
Donaldson's grandchildren serve as both inspiration and collaborators. She teaches them card games passed down from her own grandmother, completes jigsaws with them, and reads aloud—though she admits reluctance about nappy changes and school runs. A forthcoming book titled Baby Grandpa emerged directly from family life: when her youngest grandchild, Malcolm, was born, her husband—also named Malcolm—was overjoyed. Her 18-month-old granddaughter Rita was asked to record a video saying "Baby Malcolm" but instead said "Baby Grandpa." Donaldson recognised the phrase's potential as a book title and wrote it in prose form, chronicling a grandpa and baby sharing the same name. She anticipates the book will appear when young Malcolm reaches approximately seven years old.
According to , Donaldson revealed that the idea for Gruffalo Granny may have been influenced by her nine grandchildren, underscoring how family remains central to her creative process.
How has loss shaped her perspective?
Donaldson's life has been marked by profound tragedy. Her husband, Grandpa Malcolm—a consultant paediatrician who spent much of his career in Glasgow—died in 2024 at age 75. His passing fundamentally altered her existence.
The fabric of your life totally changes, she reflects. Yet this loss follows an earlier, deeper wound: the death of their son Hamish in 2003, aged 25. Hamish had schizoaffective disorder and took his own life. Donaldson is reluctant to elaborate but acknowledges that
it wasn't just the loss of a child, it was all the other things we faced because of what he was like – it was very hard times before he died. She describes his death as
devastating, but the experience of surviving that aftermath has equipped her to navigate Malcolm's death. She finds solace in her surviving sons, Alastair and Jerry, who now perform guitar accompaniment during theatrical performances and recording sessions—work their father would have undertaken.
I know he'd be very proud of not just me but the boys, who now play the guitars on the shows which he would have done.
What is her connection to the music world?
Family videos online capture charming moments of Julia and Malcolm participating in theatre performances and recording sessions centred on the Gruffalo and her other stories. Extended family members, including her sons, grandchildren and great-niece, have participated in these projects. Her great-niece has become one of the United Kingdom's most successful contemporary singer-songwriters; her 2024 single Messy reached number one in six countries and accumulated over one billion streams.
Some observers have labelled her a "nepo baby," but Donaldson dismisses this characterisation.
I'm as nepotistic as anyone. If I could have pulled any strings I would have done. But there's no relationship whatsoever between the world of rock and pop music and the world of children's books.Donaldson now resides in Sussex and attended performances when her great-niece played in Brighton.
I'm very proud of her, she says.
How do music and family define her career?
Musicality and family form the twin pillars of Donaldson's life and professional identity. She and Malcolm maintained their passion for performance throughout their accomplished careers. As university students, they busked across Europe together; success in other fields provided no reason to abandon that practice. Donaldson grew up in a musical household—her mother sang in a choir, her father played cello—and this background has brought equilibrium to her writing life.
Writing is private and creative; performing, along with book signings, gives her opportunities to meet people. The variety is what I like.
Her own grandmother, who lived on one floor of the family's Hampstead house during Donaldson's childhood (her parents and sister occupied another floor, with an aunt and uncle on a third), profoundly influenced her.
It was like Milly-Molly-Mandy, she reflects, referencing Joyce Lankester Brisley's stories of three generations sharing a cottage. Her grandmother gifted her collections of fairytales—Hans Christian Andersen, Chaucer retellings, classical myths—which Donaldson still possesses.
I was heartbroken when she died. I was 16.
Julia and Malcolm met while studying at the University of Bristol and spent most of their married life near Glasgow. The Gruffalo's global reach is evident in its translation into 119 languages and dialects, including Scots and Latin.
What projects lie ahead?
Though Gruffalo Granny may conclude the Gruffalo series, Donaldson shows no signs of slowing down. At 77, approaching her 78th birthday, she has multiple works in development. Winifred Duck will arrive in early 2027 through Scholastic, based on the true story of bath toys lost from a cargo ship that drifted around the world and helped oceanographers understand ocean currents and tides. Baby Grandpa and several other titles remain in the pipeline.
According to Penguin Random House, Gruffalo Granny was published on 15 September 2026 in its edition as a 40-page hardcover, with an audiobook edition following on 10 September 2026. The book's arrival represents a milestone moment for both author and illustrator, with reporting that Scheffler expressed concern about the rise of artificial intelligence-generated images during the London launch event.
Every now and then you get an idea for another one, so it seems to keep ticking over.She acknowledges the financial security of ongoing royalties means she could retire whenever she chooses. Yet she sees no reason to stop.
I can go on doing what I do as long as I'm fit enough, as long as I haven't lost my marbles.There is a palpable sense of someone who, despite enduring considerable hardship, feels profound gratitude for her circumstances. To borrow her own metaphor from the final page of the original Gruffalo book, she is the mouse who found a nut, and the nut is good.
