Facts
- Jacqueline Wilson’s first writing job was for D. C. Thomson (creators of The Beano and The Dandy) off the back of an ad in the paper, which stated: “WANTED – TEENAGE WRITERS”. She wrote an amusing piece about what it’s like to go to your first dance, how embarrassing it is if no-one is interested in you, and how to look as though you’re enjoying yourself anyway!
- She has sold millions of books all over the world. In the UK alone, the total now stands at over thirty-five million!
- Her own childhood bedroom was a dreary, brown room – but as long as she had her dolls and books, she was happy. She was a voracious reader, and spent much of her childhood in the library.
- Jacqueline Wilson was writing stories by age seven. She was called Jackie Daydream at school, a name she later used for her autobiography.
- The Story of Tracy Beaker was her first bestselling book. It is about a ten-year-old girl who lives in a home for neglected children and is lonely, unhappy and badly behaved.
- Wilson likes to wear lots of large rings and to dress in black clothing. She has about fifteen thousand books in her home and likes old fashioned toys, such as dolls and rocking horses.
- Wilson replies to every fan letter she receives.
Quotes
“Enjoy yourself whilst you read!”
“I try to have reasonably happy endings because I would hate any child to be cast down in gloom and despair; I want to show them you can find a way out of it.”
“Where do baby apes sleep? In apricots!”
Declassified 08/06/2018
