1. Jacqueline Wilson's novels have been notable for tackling realistic topics such as adoption and divorce without alienating her large readership.
19 Facts About Jacqueline Wilson
1. 2.
Since her debut novel in 1969, Wilson has written more than 100 books.
3.
Jacqueline Wilson Aitken was born in Bath, Somerset, on 17 December 1945.
4.
Jacqueline Wilson's father, Harry, was a civil servant and her mother, Margaret "Biddy", was an antiques dealer.
5.
Jacqueline Wilson particularly enjoyed books by Noel Streatfeild, as well as American classics such as Little Women and What Katy Did.
6.
Jacqueline Wilson was given the nickname Jacky Daydream at school, which she later used as the title of her autobiography, which tells of her life as a primary school-aged child.
7.
Jacqueline Wilson attended Coombe Girls' School in Surrey and Carshalton Technical College.
8.
When Jacqueline Wilson began to focus on writing, she completed several crime fiction novels before dedicating herself to children's books.
9.
In June 2013, Jacqueline Wilson was appointed a professorial fellow of the University of Roehampton, and a Pro-Chancellor.
10.
Jacqueline Wilson was reappointed in 2017 for a further three years.
11.
Jacqueline Wilson teaches modules in both the Children's Literature and Creative Writing master's degree programmes offered by the university.
12.
Jacqueline Wilson concluded her term as Chancellor in August 2020.
13.
Jacqueline Wilson is patron of the charity Momentum in Kingston upon Thames, south London, which helps children undergoing treatment for cancer, and a patron of the Letterbox Club, a BookTrust initiative.
14.
In that role, Jacqueline Wilson urged parents and carers to continue reading aloud to children long after they are able to read for themselves.
15.
Jacqueline Wilson campaigned to make more books available for blind people and campaigned against cutbacks in children's television drama.
16.
Jacqueline Wilson has received honorary degrees from the University of Dundee, the University of Bath and Kingston University.
17.
In July 2012, Dame Jacqueline Wilson was elected an honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
18.
In 2017, Jacqueline Wilson received the Special Award at the BAFTA Children's Awards.
19.
Jacqueline Wilson revealed that she had been living with her partner, Trish, for 18 years.