Emma Walton Hamilton

Emma Katherine Walton Hamilton was born on November 27, 1962. She is a British-American author, editor, producer, and actress. Emma works as an instructor in the MFA in Creative Writing program at Stony Brook University in New York State. There, she directs the Southampton Children's Literature Conference and the Young Artists and Writers Project.

She is the daughter of the famous singer and actress Julie Andrews and the set and costume designer Tony Walton. Emma uses her creative talents to inspire and teach young writers and artists, making a positive impact in the world of children's literature and the arts.

Early life

Emma Walton was born in The London Clinic in central London. Her parents are famous British actress and singer Dame Julie Andrews and Tony Walton, a British set and costume designer. She grew up between London, Los Angeles, where her mother worked, and New York City, where her father lived. Her godmothers were actress Carol Burnett and Svetlana Beriosova, a prima ballerina of The Royal Ballet. Her parents divorced in 1967, and two years later, her mother married film director Blake Edwards, who became her stepfather. She attended UCLA Lab School.

Career

From 1983 to 1991, Emma Walton Hamilton acted in theater, film, and television, including in Micki + Maude and That's Life!, and had a recurring role on "As the World Turns."

In 1991, she, her husband, and actress Sybil Christopher started the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York. She was the theater's artistic co-director and director of education and programming for young audiences for 17 years.

She has narrated many audiobooks, such as Gitty Daneshvari's School of Fear, Patrick McDonnell's Me… Jane, and Nancy Tafuri's All Kinds of Kisses. In 2010, she won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for narrating Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies.

In 2000, she began writing children's books with her mother, starting with Dumpy the Dumptruck. Together, they have written 35 children's books, including the "Dumpy" books, The Great American Mousical, two "Bonnie Boadicea" novels, the The Very Fairy Princess series, and two unrelated novels. They also co-edited two anthologies of poetry and songs, and a concept book called Thanks to You: Wisdom From Mother and Child. Emma has also written a book for adults called Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment.

In 2016, she co-created the preschool television series Julie's Greenroom with her mother Julie Andrews and Judy Rothman-Rofé. The show features Julie Andrews, her assistant Gus, and a group of puppets made by The Jim Henson Company. It began airing on Netflix in 2017. She and her mother also hosted a story-time podcast called Julie's Library in 2020.

She also helps other writers by co-creating online courses and resources for picture book writers.

Personal life

In 1991, Emma Walton married actor and director Stephen Hamilton. Together, they have a son and a daughter.

Filmography

Publications

Emma Walton Hamilton has written many books for children and adults. Some of her popular titles include Dumpy the Dumptruck, The Very Fairy Princess, and Thanks To You: Wisdom From Mother and Child. Her stories often feature friendly characters and themes of kindness and learning.

Her publications also include a memoir called Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years and a book about music titled The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi. Emma continues to create new stories and share her love of reading with young readers.

Awards

Emma Walton Hamilton has received many awards for her work. She has written nine books that were New York Times Bestsellers, including three that were the number one bestseller. She also won a Parents Choice Gold Medal, a Living Now Silver Medal, and an IPPY Book Awards Silver Medal. Additionally, she received a Grammy Award for the Best Spoken Word Album for Children, a Bridport Prize for poetry, and was nominated for two Emmy Awards.