Two world-renowned illustrators receive special honours

Over 1500 students have graduated in Cambridge in ceremonies staged by Anglia Ruskin University at Cambridge Corn Exchange during November.

The students, who participated in six separate graduation events at the Corn Exchange, were marking the completion of various higher education degree courses at the University. They represented the:

• Faculty of Arts
• Law and Social Sciences
• Ashcroft International Business School
• Faculty of Science & Technology
• Faculty of Health and Social Care (FHSC) - which has recently expanded its course offering through its link up with HSHS Limited.

A number of special awards have also been presented during the faculty-themed ceremonies to various individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievements. Two world-renowned illustrators were featured in this year's awards: the much-loved grandfather of contemporary graphic satire and creator of St Trinian's, Ronald Searle CBE and Quentin Blake OBE, CBE who is most famous for his children's book illustrations.

The creator of St Trinian's, Ronald Searle, was born in Cambridge in 1920 and educated at the Cambridge School of Art which is now a flagship school of Anglia Ruskin University.

He is widely-known for his brilliant draughtsmanship which he has deployed to comment on global social and political issues in newspapers and magazines worldwide. As well as collaborating with Geoffrey Willans on the Molesworth books and his invention of St Trinian's, his work in the fields of satire and reportage has been the subject of numerous exhibitions across the world and appears in several major American and European collections. He moved to Paris in 1961 and then, in 1975, to a remote village in Haute-Provence, where he still lives.

He continues to work as hard as ever today, at the age of 87 but was not able to travel to the UK to collect his award in person.

Quentin Blake was recognised for his lifetime's contribution to illustration, writing and most recently, curating exhibitions. He received his Honorary Doctorate during a graduation ceremony for the University's Arts, Law and Social Sciences students.

Born in 1932 in Sidcup, Kent, Quentin Blake read English at Downing College, Cambridge, then studied for a postgraduate teaching qualification at the University of London and took life classes at Chelsea Art School. Quentin Blake has always made his living as an illustrator, as well as teaching for over 20 years at The Royal College of Art, where he was Head of the Illustration Department from 1978 to 1986.

His first drawings were published in Punch when he was only sixteen and he continued to draw for Punch, The Spectator and other magazines for many years, while entering the magical world of children's books with his first book as an illustrator, A Drink of Water and Other Stories in 1960. He then built up a series of collaborations, most famously with Roald Dahl. He also created much-loved characters of his own including Mister Magnolia and Mrs Armitage. This led to him being appointed the first ever Children's Laureate in 1999, a post designed to raise the profile of children's books.

His books have won numerous international prizes and awards. To crown a magnificently colourful and creative career in illustration and writing, he was awarded an OBE for services to Children's Literature in 1988, which was followed by the even greater honour of CBE in 2005.

On the same day as he received his award, biographer and journalist Hilary Spurling and history and art history writer and broadcaster Professor Simon Schama CBE also received Honorary Doctorates.

Hilary Spurling is a magnificently- gifted biographer and journalist who has been described as a specialist in 'uncovering secrets kept'. Born in Stockport, in 1940, she was educated at Somerville College, Oxford before becoming an arts editor, theatre critic and literary editor for The Spectator during the 1960s.

Her first book was a biography of the English Novelist Ivy Compton-Burnett, published in two volumes, ten years apart. It is Hilary Spurling's weighty two-part biography of the French artist, Henri Matisse that has brought her worldwide acclaim. Given unprecedented access to the painter's family correspondence, her carefully crafted two-part volume, which took her 15 years to research, was hailed a 'masterpiece' by the judges of the Whitbread Book of the year Award 2005. The second part of her study of Matisse Matisse the Master of Colour 1909-1954 has also received rave reviews. Now living in London, she works as a book reviewer for newspapers including The Daily Telegraph, Observer and New York Times.

Professor Simon Schama has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of the power of art, through a BBC Two series of the same name; to an understanding of the complexities of European history via a series of new books; and for taking British history to a wider audience with the success of his BBC Two series - A History of Britain, based on a penetrating discussion of landscape and memory.

He is author of:

• Patriots and Liberators (which won the Wolfson Prize for History)
• The Embarrassment of Riches
• Citizens (which won the 1990 NCR book award for non-fiction)
• Dead Certainties
• Landscape and Memory (which won the WH Smith Literary Award in 1995)
• Rembrandt's Eyes.

His factual TV series that he wrote and presented won him the best Television Contributor and Best Television series prizes. He was particularly praised for conveying subjects often considered dry in an engaging, accessible and innovative way.

Anglia Ruskin University also awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Supanee Gazeley who has enjoyed a forty year career as a leading international business figure. An alumnus of Cambridge College of Art & Technology (CCAT), one of the forerunner colleges of what is now Anglia Ruskin University, she graduated in 1962 with a Certificate in Private Secretaryship.

At this point, she returned to Asia to help her father set up a new business venture in Hong Kong where she helped in finding the Thong Sia Group of Companies which became sole distributor of Seiko clocks and watches for Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Macau. As her career progressed she moved into the optical, computing and finally property sectors during which time she was heading up two major groups of companies each supporting thousands of employees.

Supanee Gazeley is acknowledged for bringing innovative technology from Europe into Hong Kong and in doing so making Hong Kong a serious competitor in the global market within the watch and optical industries.