MICHELLE MAGORIAN
Born November 6th 1947, Portsmouth, Michelles father was in the Royal Navy, therefore due to postings she spent many of her early years living in Singapore and Australia. Until the age of 18 she lived in Portsmouth, at 19 Michelle attended the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in London, studying drama.
As an author she has produced both fiction and poetry mainly for young people, these include Goodnight Mister Tom (which was made into a film for TV), Back Home, Not a Swan, and A Spoonful of Jam.

OLIVIA MANNING
Born March 2nd 1911 in Portsmouth, Olivia was a journalist and novelist.
The daughter of a naval officer, produced her first novel, The Wind Changes in 1937 but is best known for her series of novels The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy.
She is said to have constantly worried about her ability as a novelist and her literary reputation and is reported to have said that she wished she could be famous like the actor comedian Peter Sellers, also born in Portsmouth. Ironically she died on July 23rd 1980, the same day as Peter Sellers, reports of his death somewhat overshadowed her own and took up more column space in the papers.

PETER ORTON
Peter grew up in the Tangier Road area and after leaving Portsmouth Technical School worked as a salesman selling shoes.
In 1966 he joined Television International Enterprises, a programme sales business. Peter was responsible for the imternational sales of Sesame Street, becoming close friends with Jim Henson. He worked with Henson and helped set up Henson International Television.
When Henson sold his TV business to Disney, Orton decided to found Hit Entertainment the best known and one of the most successful children's TV production, licensing and merchandising companies in the world, introducing characters such as Postman Pat, Alvin & the Chipmunks and Bob the Builder..
Peter Orton died December 5th 2007 after battling cancer for some time.

ALLISON OWEN
Film producer Allison Owen was born in Portsmouth in 1961, to Peter and Mary Owen, her mother Mary worked Portsmouth Dockyard.
Allison attended the Northern Grammar School for Girls.
Her film credits include Moonlight and Valentino (1995), Elizabeth (1998), Sylvia (2003), Shaun of the Dead (2004), Proof (2005), The Other Boleyn Girl (2007) and Brick Lane (2007).
Allison is mother to the singer Lily Allen from her previous marriage to the actor / comedian Keith Allen. She is currently married to the art director Aaron Batterham.

JOHN POUNDS
John Pounds was born in Portsmouth on 17th June 1766. His father was a sawyer in the royal dockyard and when was twelve years old, his father arranged for him to be apprenticed as a shipwright. Three years later John fell into a dry dock and was crippled for life.
Unable to work as a shipwright, John became a shoemaker and by 1803 had his own shop in St. Mary Street, Portsmouth. While working in the shop, John began teaching local children how to read. His reputation as a teacher grew and he soon had over 40 pupils attending his lessons. Unlike other schools, John did not charge a fee for teaching the poor of Portsmouth. As well as reading and arithmetic, John gave lessons in cooking, carpentry and shoemaking. John Pounds died in 1839.
In the years following his death over 200 free schools for poor children were established in Britain, John Pounds is recognized as the founder of this movement, known as the ragged schools.
Read more about John Pounds.