Ross Welford is a best-selling and award-winning children’s author,
known for his imaginative stories that blend humour and fantasy
into mend-bending adventures.
Ross’s first book was published in 2016. Time Travelling With A Hamster is a thrilling and heart-warming middle-grade novel that tells the story of a boy’s quest to live up to his dad’s memory. An astounding debut success, Hamster was shortlisted for no fewer than 14 of the biggest children’s book prizes, including the Costa, the Blue Peter, the Branford Boase, and the Waterstones Prize and it was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. It was Waterstones Book of the month upon publication and it won the Awesome Book Award in 2017.
A new, standalone book has followed every year since, all achieving critical and popular acclaim, and frequently gaining best-seller status.
Ross is firmly established as one of the UK’s most popular and original voices in children’s books.
Ross says: “I have never lost sight of the delight I felt when my first book was published! Knowing that my mad ideas and daft jokes are being enjoyed by children worldwide is a daily joy, and a constant encouragement to dream up more.”
I was born in Cullercoats, a small seaside town in north-eastern England. It appears in many of my books as “Culvercot”.
After university, I moved to London where I worked as a magazine journalist and, later, as a television producer, working on factual programmes such as celebrity chat-shows, daytime magazines, a teenage reality show and documentary series.
I live in London with my family, tropical fish, and my border collie, Jess. When I am not writing I tourn the UK and internationally visiting schools, libraries and festivals.
Image: Cullercoats – the real-life “Culvercot”
This awesome film by Chris Ainsley shows loads of the real-life locations featured in Ross’s books.
The Magic Circle
As a lifelong magic-nerd, I was thrilled when, in 2019, I was admitted as a member of The Magic Circle.
It is the world’s oldest club for magicians and requires an audition to join. The Circle meets every Monday in the wonderful headquarters in central London, where there is a theatre and a large library – including a copy of the world’s oldest magic book The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scott from 1584.
One of the tricks I performed at my audition is the “Time Travelling Rope Trick” – featured in nearly all my school and festival shows.
I first became interested in magic at the age of six when I was given a magic set by my Gran for Christmas. I loved watching magic on TV and when I was a TV producer I made “Max Magic” for Sky TV, starring Max Somerset.
I’m always delighted to be asked to show you a trick!
Twenty things I like
- Magic tricks
- Playing the piano
- Skiing
- Newcastle United winning
- A proper cup of tea
- Swan Lake
- Laurel & Hardy
- California
- Dolphins
- Game Of Thrones
- Hot curries
- Beach bars
- George Formby songs
- Spain
- Raucous dinners with friends
- New York
- George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue
- Swedish saunas
- Mangos
- My family
Contact Ross
The Monkey Who Fell From The Future
The hilarious, moving and adventure-packed new novel for readers of 9 and up from Ross Welford, the bestselling and Costa-shortlisted author of Time Travelling with a Hamster
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The Unlikely Diaries of Prince Kal the Alien
Kal starts a diary – to record his adventures, make sense of the bizarre land of soup and hairy giants and, just maybe, figure out a way home…
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Time Travelling with a Tortoise
Al is forced into a rescue mission to recover his friend from the past – and to make sure there will be a future waiting for them all. It turns out time travel is far more complicated that Al thought…
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Into the Sideways World
When Willa and Manny stumble upon a seemingly perfect world without pollution or conflict, they try desperately to make people in their own troubled world believe them.
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When We Got Lost in Dreamland
When 11 year-old Malky and his younger brother Seb become the owners of a “Dreaminator”, they are thrust into worlds beyond their wildest imagination. But impossible dreams come with incredible risks...
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The Kid Who Came From Space
A small village in the wilds of Northumberland is rocked by the disappearance of twelve-year-old Tammy. Only her twin brother, Ethan, knows she is safe – and the extraordinary truth of where she is. It is a secret he must keep, or risk never seeing her again.
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The Dog Who Saved The World
My pet dog is called Mr Mash. We named him that because he's a mishmash. A total mongrel. He smells terrible. He'll eat literally anything. He can't see very well. But I love him more than anything. (Sorry dad.) And without him, the world is going to end...
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The 1,000-year-old Boy
There are stories about people who want to live forever. This is a story about someone who wants to stop.
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What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible
Turning invisible at will: it’s one way of curing your acne. But far more drastic than 13 year-old Ethel Leatherhead intended when she tried a combination of untested medicines and a sunbed.
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Time Travelling With A Hamster
My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty nine, and again four years later when he was twelve.
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