W. J. Corbett

William Jesse Corbett was an English children's writer. Born and raised in Birmingham, West Midlands. He joined the British Merchant Navy at the age of 16 and later worked in physical training for the British Army, among other jobs. He decided to become a writer and wrote The Song of Pentecost, featuring the adventures of a group of mice who travel to a new home. It was published by Methuen in 1982, a 215-page novel with illustrations by Martin Ursell. It was an international bestseller and the 1982 Whitbread Awards Children's Book of the Year. He followed with two sequels and several other books.