Having grown up rather addicted to the novels of Jaqueline Wilson, as I am sure any child of the 2000s can attest to, I was thrilled to hear she would be gracing the Edinburgh International Book Festival with a discussion of her new adult fiction work Picture Imperfect, the sequel to the widely successful and winner of the Guardian’s Children’s Fiction Prize, The Illustrated Mum, released in 1999.
Whilst I am very familiar with Wilson’s children’s fiction, staying up far past my bedtime to read the Tracy Beaker series, wandering the foundling hospital with Hetty Feather, and having faced my pre-teen awkwardness with the beloved characters from the Girls series, I have to admit that prior to this talk I was unfamiliar with Jacqueline’s adult fiction, and dubious regarding re-visiting my childhood friends, as an adult. I entered the venue, expecting to leave with a heart filled with nostalgia, and a desire to re-read my childhood favourites. What I gained instead was a newfound appreciation for the talent it takes to be a multi-generational voice as Wilson is, and to re-visit children’s classics from an adult lens, over twenty years after their first publication.
For those unfamiliar with The Illustrated Mum, it follows sisters Star and Dolphin as they grapple with their mum who suffers with bipolar disorder. I loved the enigmatic way Wilson described touching on such difficult topics in children’s fiction without ‘traumatising’ her young audience, she explained how children are much more resilient than often given credit for, but that she did not feel the need to put a label on the illustrated Mum. She explains: “all children know, is sometimes Mum is happy and sparkly and stays up all night baking brownies. And other times she is scary, and unpredictable.” When it comes to Picture Imperfect, however, Wilson clearly loved being able to take the reins on delving into discussions of mental health, sexuality and family life without fear of reproach from publishers and parents.
Picture Imperfect follows Dolphin as she continues to be her mum’s primary caregiver, yet attempts to assert her own place in the world, as a thirty-year-old. It speaks to the younger siblings, the neurodivergent and those who always feel one step behind their siblings and peers, and I would be lying if I said I did not feel a pang of relatability and comfort as Wilson described Dolphin, as well as her other characters, with such love and understanding, as if welcoming back an old friend, whom the audience all had a collective history with.
Jaqueline spoke of the ‘common humanity’ of ageing, which she has found most noticeable when taking the leap from children’s to adult fiction. She noted beautifully how children always think they are the odd one out, but as you age you learn everyone is just as weird as you are — we never really stop coming of age.
It was refreshing to see how Wilson, who is now 80, certainly applies this logic to her own life. She notes how she often has four novels whirring away in her head at any given time, and has no plans of retiring from writing any time soon. Indeed Jaqueline humorously spoke to queer women in the audience who are sick of men as romantic leads, urging us to “just wait” until her next novel comes out. However, she would not reveal which children’s protagonist she would be welcoming back, only that, as Wilson herself, they will be a lesbian.
I have my own theories about which character that may be, and certainly can’t wait for its anticipated release next August. In the meantime, I will be rushing to secure a copy of Picture Imperfect when it is released in paperback next week. In the meantime, perhaps I shall re-read The Illustrated Mum, or another of Wilson’s children’s classics, imagining for myself what on earth the characters may be up to now.
Picture Imperfect can be found at any reputable bookstore now.
Image Credit to Ella Gibson
