Stig of the Dump by Clive King is 50 years old and the story of Barney and his best friend, cave-man Stig, is as fresh today as it was when first published. 'Stig's nice. He's my friend' Nobody believes Barney when he says he's discovered a boy living wild in the dump.

But for Barney, Stif is totally real. They become great friends, learn each other's ways and embark on a series of exciting adventures. "This story has wonderful appeal". (Guardian). Clive King was born in Richmond, Surrey in 1924. When he was a baby his family moved to a village called Ash, near Sevenoaks in Kent, which is the setting for Stig of the Dump.

He went to local schools, then King's School, Rochester and Downing College, Cambridge.

During the war he served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and later joined the British Council.

He now lives in a cottage in Norfolk, and has three children and several grandchildren.