''A beautiful, thoughtful book that brims with joy'' KATE MOSSE''Our master storyteller'' JOANNA LUMLEYIn Funny Thing, Getting Older, one of our most belove novelists shares his reflections from a lifetime of writing stories about the world. Here, collected for the first time on Michael''s 82nd birthday, are his thoughts on nature, childhood, writing, peace and war, and getting older. Some are deeply personal, some political, others in between. And woven in amongst them you will find a play, a poem or two, and even a few stories. Full of wonder, gentle humour and sharp observation, Funny Thing, Getting Older is a book to treasure.''For me, a story is like a kite. It will swoop and soar, and it will be please my heart when it''s up there, floating on the wind. It is the same with the making of the pieces in this book, every one of them. I have to keep making and flying my kites, and to teach others, if I can, to fly theirs.''MICHAEL MORPURGO