Patrick Skene Catling
Patrick Skene Catling was a British journalist, author and book reviewer, best known for writing The Chocolate Touch in 1952. He wrote 12 novels, three works of non-fiction and nine books for children.
Background
Catling was born in London, England on 14 February 1925. He was schooled there, before attending Oberlin College in the United States. Catling served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a navigator and as a journalist at The Baltimore Sun and The Manchester Guardian.He traveled extensively. Catling continued writing books in his later years, and provided reviews for The Spectator, The Telegraph, and other publications. He later lived in Reenacoppul in the Republic of Ireland. Catling died in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland on 9 January 2026, at the age of 100.
Career
His first publication of The Chocolate Touch in 1952 received enthusiastic responses from several reviewers. Catling has since written dozens of books, and has developed the popular The Chocolate Touch character John Midas into the children's book series: John Midas in the Dreamtime, John Midas and the Vampires, John Midas and the Radio Touch, and John Midas and the Rock Star. Of John Midas in the Dreamtime, School Library Journal wrote, "...children who have been dragged around tourist sights will relate to John's boredom".Selected works
Novels
Tourist Attraction The ''Experiment The Exterminator Freddy Hill: The Story of a Modern Man of Pleasure The Catalogue The Surrogate Best Summer Job Secret Ingredients Bliss Incorporated Freddy Hill in Las Vegas Jazz, Jazz, Jazz Murder Becomes Electra: A Love Story''Children's books
The Chocolate Touch John Midas in the Dreamtime- The Orphan and the Billionaire Eskimo Surprise John Midas and the Radio Touch A Trunkful of Tricks John Midas and the Vampires John Midas and the Rock Star
- ''Chocolate Magic''
Non-fiction
Better Than Working The Right End of the Stick The Joy of Freeloading- ''Harassment: Memoirs of a Sex Object''
Journalism
- Review of