Published on 28 April 2011

Jacqueline Wilson: Authors Live

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Authors Live - Jacqueline Wilson - Full session

Jacqueline Wilson talks about life as a writer and her stories from Tracy Beaker to her latest book, Lily Alone. Recorded live at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. Michael Rosen talks about writing being his best friend and performs his poem The Space. Michael Rosen tells the story about his dad's sayings and how his brother would mimic and exaggerate them, including 'the Noise!'

About Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first 'novel' when she was nine. She worked as a journalist on Jackie magazine before turning to writing novels full-time. One of Jacqueline's most successful and enduring creations has been Tracy Beaker, a young girl living in care, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, the 1999 Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children's Book Award. Jacqueline has sold over 25 million books in the UK alone and was made a Dame in 2008.

Questions

After the live session we managed to get Jacqueline to answer these questions too:

If you could be an animal, what animal would you be? (from Inverkeithing High School)

I'd be a ring tailed lemur and swing through the trees, happily showing off my black and white tail.

Who is your favourite author and what is your favourite book? (from Drumlanrig and Pittencrieff Primary Schools)

My favourite author is Katherine Mansfield - so her wonderful Collected Short Stories is my favourite book.

Which of one of your characters do you most admire or would like to be? (from Forthview Primary School, Edinburgh)

I admire Lily in my new book, Lily Alone because she is very brave and patient and grown up for her age. If I had to be one of my characters I think I might choose Charlie from The Lottie Project as she's very good at baking cakes!

Does your illustrator think about what your character looks like or is it your idea? (from Isla Primary)

I describe my characters in words in my books - and Nick Sharratt draws them brilliantly. I sometimes think he can see inside my mind because the characters always appear just as I have imagined them.

Have you written for adults or thought about writing for adults? (from Botany Downs Primary School)

I've written five novels for adults in the past but I much prefer writing for children.

What job would you like to have if you were not an author? (from Coldfall and Fishermoss Primary Schools)

I'd have my very own second-hand bookshop. I have 15,000 books in my house at the moment so I think I'd have a head start on stocking the bookshop!

If you had 10 pounds only for the day what would you spend on it? (from St. Francis Primary Catholic School)

I'd go into a good bookshop, spend ages browsing, choose the best paperback - and then I'd buy myself an ice cream with the change.

If you could have any magical powers (eg. fairy wing or a mermaid tail) what would you chose? (from Swing Gate School and Nursery)

I'd have a magic brain that could stay awake all night so I could write and read more.

Have you ever suffered from writer's block? What do you do to try and cure it? (from St Cadoc's Primary School)

Not often, thank goodness. When I truly can't think what to write next I go for a long walk or go for a swim - and then hopefully I'll get going again.

Partners

Authors Live is produced in association with the Scottish Book Trust, Creative Scotland and Glow. The Scottish Book Trust is the leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing in Scotland and their Authors Live programme is funded by the National Lottery through the Creative Scotland's Inspiring Communities Fund. The Authors Live webcasts are also available through Glow - the world's first national intranet for education allowing joined-up working the length and breadth of Scotland.