Children's author honoured by DMU

Children’s author Pippa Goodhart started a new chapter of her life as she became a Doctor of Letters.

Pippa was presented with an honorary degree along with hundreds of graduates from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).

She said: “ This is a very unexpected and very special honour. I am particularly pleased that this honorary degree is from Leicester as we have had a very happy 26 years in Leicester.”

Pippa, who has written nearly 100 children’s titles. These include the You Choose book - named Best Picture Book of All Time - and, under the pen name Laura Owens the successful Winnie the Witch series. Pippa is also a part-time lecturer at DMU in creative writing.

She told students: “The habit of questioning and understanding is seriously important.

"I did my degree and PGCE and went back to the bookshop - so was my degree wasted? No, I was the one who said 'yes' to doing a job swap with publishers, to taking books home to review, to meeting writers and illustrators.

"This degree is a great honour and a great surprise and I thank you very much for it. But the honour should really go to those full time lecturers and teachers at DMU. Thank you."

This afternoon’s ceremony was the first of five events being held this week at Curve theatre.

Joining Pippa were students from the Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities and the Faculty of Technology. Vanessa Williams, graphic design graduate, has already got a job with a design company in London. She said: "DMU has been a great experience – it's a bit strange to think it's all done – I'll be moving to London to be a junior designer. It's very exciting!"

Abdualrhman Alhula, from Libya, has just finished a MSc in mechanical engineering – which he completed while working. He said: "I am so happy that I have now finished, it's very hard work combining study with a job – I was just one mark off a distinction!"

Anna Vennard-Tierney, English Literature and Education Studies, is off to the Far East to teach English for the summer after graduating. She said: "DMU has been so good to me, I have had such a good time. I have loved Leicester, too, it's a great city."