Terry Deary was an actor for 21 years. During that time, he started to write books. He had 50 to his name when, 20 years ago, he was asked to write a Father Christmas joke book.

“After the success of that I was asked to write a history joke book. The editors asked me to put in facts between the jokes. So we invented a genre, Horrible Histories. The rest is history,” he says.

The 50 illustrated Horrible Histories books published from 1993 have sold about 25 million copies in 40 countries. Since 2006, Birmingham Stage Company has created plays from the series, two of which will be staged at the Alhambra from the end of February.

The last Horrible Histories volume was a First World War trench warfare handbook, which he says he had a hard time researching because most history books assume that only the British and the Allies suffered.

Terry is underwhelmed by the Steven Spielberg movie version of War Horse because, in his own words, “I can’t stand pathetic stories about little animals”.

If from that you conclude that the 66-year-old Sunderland-born author is neither politically correct nor right on, you would be correct. In spite of the wealth from his books, he describes himself as an anarchist.

He says: “I get more radical the older I get, and more cynical, especially about politicians. I have met them and they are deeply stupid people.

“When Tony Blair was in power he had Cool Britannia and invited the 100 top authors to Downing Street. I binned my invitation. My wife asked why. I said he just wanted to look good. I have turned down invitations to meet the Queen and Prince Charles because I do not want to get sucked into the establishment. I don’t mix with other authors and do festivals either.”

Like most authors, he served an apprenticeship of rejection. He says his first attempt at a novel, The Custard Kid, was turned down 24 times. His second one was rejected 73 times.

He says: “When it came back the 73rd time the lightbulb went on: ‘It’s rubbish!’ That was an important learning stage. I think I have a natural ability to write but it took a long time to work through.

“I got top marks for essays at school, but nobody ever said I could be a writer because I was a working-class Northern male. Schools are about passing exams. My education started when I worked for a touring theatre company, reading scripts.”

The National Trust objected to one of his Horrible Histories books on the 20th century because Terry made fun of Prince Charles’s ears. The Prince of Wales is patron of the National Trust. Scottish separatists wanted to ban another one for being less-than-deferential to the ideals of nationalists over the border.

Given that all history is a matter of interpretation, what can anyone learn from it?

“Some general principles are not in dispute. The Normans won the Battle of Hastings in 1066, but King Harold did not die from an arrow in the eye – the story we’ve been told for nearly 1,000 years,” says Terry.

“I think what underlies Horrible Histories is the goodness of ordinary people as opposed to the evil and stupidity of people in power. They may start out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but in power your mindset becomes hanging on to that power whatever it takes, and if that involves corruption, you’ll use it.”

With 214 books published, Terry has now stopped doing them. “In 2010 I had books to write until 2012, but I had 13 contracts cancelled. I have royalties from Horrible Histories to sustain me. I have seen what’s happening with books and that’s why I am out of it.

“I cannot remember the time when I last bought a book. Everything is now downloaded on my Kindle. I’ve got 40 books to read on the train to London. That’s the future. Technology never goes backwards.”

He’s working on an animated TV series provisionally called Terry Deary’s True Time Tales, and has scripted a feature film called 90 Minutes, about amateur football and women’s football.

He said David Beckham, Sir Alex Ferguson and John Cleese have expressed interest in cameo roles.

“I didn’t know until I started the research that after the age of 14 females aren’t allowed to play on the same pitch as males. I am surprised feminists haven’t made more of a fuss,” he said.

“In most sports they are separated. My daughter, though, is an event horse rider. Men and women take part together and compete equally in that.”

* Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians are on at the Alhambra from February 28 to March 3. Tickets are on (01274) 432000.