Newcastle’s Seven Stories announces new “joyous, family-themed” exhibition

Seven Stories announced the launch of a brand new free exhibition on Friday 26 May 2023. Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books will host Mog, the Forgetful Cat as part of Judith Kerr’s centenary year celebrations exhibiting until early 2024.

Judith Kerr (1923-2019) is one of the most successful children’s authors of the 20th century; with her books The Tiger Who Came to Tea, the Mog series and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books selling millions of copies worldwide.

Her archive comprises artworks and papers for 32 books, loose studio artwork, notebooks, a diary from 1948 and correspondence. Items from the Seven Stories archive will highlight Judith Kerr’s contribution to children’s literature, while visitors are invited to take a journey through all seventeen titles dedicated to Mog’s life and adventures with the Thomas family.

Seven Stories’ digital collection sevenstories.online hosts Judith Kerr’s archive and visitors are invited to discover the making of Mog who was initially inspired by her very own cat. These early sketches in addition to pictures of real-life Mog will be on display in the exhibition also.

Seven Stories have worked closely with Judith’s family and her publishers, HarperCollins Children’s Books, on the curation of the exhibition. Judith’s daughter, Tacy Kneale commented, “How lovely to celebrate my mum’s centenary with this wonderful Mog the Forgetful Cat exhibition which I am sure will delight Mog fans of all ages!”

Wendy Elliott, CEO at Seven Stories, commented: “We’re excited to launch the latest exhibition ahead of Judith’s 100th birthday celebrations. Like many other parents across the country, I have adored reading Judith Kerr books with my children, most of all Mog, whose amusing adventures have entertained families since her debut in 1970.

“Mog, alongside all of Judith’s titles, celebrates the beautiful simplicity of storytelling, something very close to our hearts at Seven Stories. We hope this joyous, family-themed exhibition is as unforgettable as Mog herself and that it resonates with visitors of all ages this summer and beyond.”

Select items from the archive will be on display in a number of country-wide initiatives this year as we celebrate Judith Kerr’s Centenary Year.

This includes touring exhibitions featuring Mog and The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the permanent exhibition at Seven Stories, where visitors can see the kitchen from the author’s London home that served as inspiration for the illustrations in The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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