The Writers of Wales Database

CLIFF, ALAN

38 Clifton Park Road, Rhyl, LL18 4AW
Telephone: 01745 344963
Email: locks.siding@btinternet.com
Website: www.jackthestationcat.co.uk
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Children’s author Alan Cliff was born in Lancashire and attended both Cambridge and Oxford Universities. In 1960 he married his wife Rosemary and became a Methodist Minister. During a career that first took him to Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, and then to Edinburgh, where he became the youngest Superintendent Minister; he eventually arrived in Wrexham in 1974, taking charge of the area’s Methodism circuit.

Alan, who now lives in Rhyl, has been a railway enthusiast all his life and is president of Rhyl and District Model Railway Club, president of the friends of the Rhyl Miniature Railway; and vice president of Bala Lake Railway Society. Alan and Rosemary have housed cats for many years and one of them, Jack, also seemed to hold an interest in model railways. This inspired Alan to write a series of children’s books based on Jack’s adventures. Both Grabbit and Skoot and the Invasion of the Grey Squirrels and Jack- Special Agent a tale from Jack the Station Cat and the Space Aliens, and other Stories have been short-listed for the Goodchild Prize for Excellent English: the former in 2001 the latter in 2003. Alan Cliff was the first children’s author to be short-listed for this prize and the first author to be short-listed twice. Alan is a Member of Academi.

A new version of Jack the Station Cat goes to School, the first in the Jack the Station Cat series (originally published by Wendy Webb Books of Norwich and illustrated by Helen Maffin), has just been re-released by Gwasg Helygain of Rhyl and is retailing at £2-95. It has been completely re-illustrated by Alan’s son Nigel with all colour pictures, and includes a brief author’s introduction and some new puzzles. Alan’s publisher Gwasg Helygain intends to launch a series of CDs featuring Alan reading the Jack books. He has recorded two books to date and singer/composer Colin Stevens has recorded a special Jack song to be included on the CD. Colin’s song ’Jack the Station Cat’ was released in December 2007. Based on Alan’s books, the song is available on CD for £3.75 from Colin (email acbuk@waitrose.com for more information).  Alan has recently appeared in the ’Spotlight section’ of an edition of Big Issue Cymru.

Reviews:
All of Alan's titles have been reviewed at www.bfkbooks.com.


Selected Publications:
Grabbit and Skoot and the Invasion of the Grey Squirrels (Grabbit & Skoot Series) (Wendy Webb Books, 2000)
Grand Rescue (Wendy Webb, 2000)
Grabbit and Skoot and the Mystery of the Vanishing Otter: Horace the Hedgehog (Grabbit & Skoot Series) (Wendy Webb Books, 2001)  
Grabbit and Skoot Save a SealHospital (Grabbit & Skoot Series) (Wendy Webb Books, 2001) 
Jack the Station Cat Lends a Helping Paw and Other Stories (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Wendy Webb, 2001)   
Jack the Station Cat Goes to School (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Wendy Webb, 2001)
Jack the Station Cat and the Mice at Much Purring: And Other Stories (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Wendy Webb, 2001)
Jack the Station Cat and the Space Aliens: And Other Stories (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Wendy Webb, 2002)
Jack the Station Cat (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Wendy Webb, 2002)
Jack the Station Cat, Signalman and Other Stories (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Wendy Webb, 2003) 
Jack The Station Cat & The Great Little Trains Robbery (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2004)
Jack the Station Cat and the Lost Kittens  (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2005)
Jac Yr Orsaf A’r Cathod Bach Coll (Gwasg Helygain, 2005)
Jac Yr Orsaf a Lladrata’r Trenau Bach (Gwasg Helygain, 2005)
Jack the Station Cat: Jack In A Box (Jack The Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2006)
Jack the Station Cat and the Tail’s End Tickets (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain 2006)
Jack the Station Cat and the Midnight Mice (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain 2007)
Jack the Station Cat Takes Charge (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2008)
Jack the Station Cat and the Snail Trail (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2009)
Jack The Station Cat and the August Day (Jack the Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2010)
Jack The Station Cat and the Vanishing Lady (Jack The Station Cat Series) (Gwasg Helygain, 2011)

Contributed to:
Aged to Perfection: New Writing by Older People (co-editor) (Gwanwyn Festival, 2010)