Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames where she still lives. As a teenager she started work at a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist for D.C. Thomson in Scotland where she helped found Jackie magazine before turning to writing novels full time.

One of Jacqueline's most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards.

Jacqueline has been awarded an OBE, was made a Dame in the 2008 Honour's List and was the 2005-2007 Children's Laureute. She has sold more than 35 million books in the UK and has been translated into over 30 languages.