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Our exclusive interview with literary icon Jacqueline Wilson
As a lifelong fan of Enid Blyton and The Magic Faraway Tree, Jacqueline Wilson wrote about her admiration for the book in her biography. Therefore, it made perfect sense for Wilson to write the sequel! In this interview, she tells School Notices all about her life, books, dreams and how much she enjoyed writing her version of The Magic Faraway Tree for the modern world.
Writing has always been part of Wilson’s life. From an early age she was endlessly penning stories and had even written a full length novel before leaving school. Back in the 50s and 60s career choices for women were mainly confined to “school teacher, nurse or secretary” or if needs must “you could possibly get married”. As a result of this, Wilson kept her desire to write ‘under her hat’ until she left school at 16 years.
On seeing an ad in the London ES for teenage writers, Wilson grabbed her typewriter and sent off a comic story which consequently won over one of the editors and was published for £3 – “I was thrilled”. Following on from this, she started writing for the newly launched girl’s magazine Jackie which also precipitated a move to Dundee. Marriage followed at 19 years, with her daughter Emma arriving two years later. Together with her husband, the family moved back South and after three attempts, Wilson’s first novel was published when she was just 22 years old and “I’ve carried on ever since”!
On average, Wilson was producing two to three novels every year, but it wasn’t until Tracy Beaker appeared that things really took off. The TV series cemented Wilson’s success and then started the “happy years, where I could write what I wanted, I didn’t have to bother with magazine stories anymore and it’s just been marvellous ever since”!
In part, down to Wilson’s stratospheric career and also having worked with Alexandra Antscherl who looked after the Enid Blyton written legacy, the opportunity to write a sequel materialised. Helped in no small way by Wilson’s book Jacky Daydream in which several pages were dedicated to the virtues of The Magic Faraway Tree. “I just adored the books, I wanted to be Silky the Fairy, I loved all the adventures especially the Land of Birthdays which was my favourite.
They meant so much to me.” Subsequently, Antscherl asked Wilson to “write a follow on story to Enid Blyton’s iconic works.” Thus the huge mantel of responsibility fell upon Wilson’s shoulders to bring The Magic Faraway Tree into the new age.
On why she wrote the Faraway Tree sequel…
“I was given free range, as I wouldn’t dream of re-working Enid Blyton’s titles, or upsetting old fans but I wanted to follow on with new children in modern times who would still discover the enchanted wood, go up the Faraway Tree and who would meet the same characters like Moonface, Silky the Fairy and Saucepan Man, along with a few new characters of my own. I also wanted to re- invent some of my own Magic Lands and also create a way of making time stand still so the children weren’t missed by their parents.” Wilson’s main objective is that she wants “modern children to read my book as a lovely follow-on to the series and for those who haven’t read the originals to enjoy it in its own right – in short it’s a win, win!”
When asking about bringing the language and narrative into today’s world, Wilson is quick to remark that “I didn’t really have
to change the approach at all – these are nicely brought up children, they are not little Tracy Beakers”! Having said that Mia (note the modern name), is quite a tomboy and as Wilson points out “nowadays you have to have a girl who is not a particularly girly girl” whilst little Birdy forms the counterbalance displaying the traditional love of dressing up as a fairy princess. “I get to have a bite of both cherries!” Milo, on the other hand is a competitive little boy who Wilson wanted to make “prove himself by being brave” in the face of danger. On the discussion of a follow- up series, Wilson’s reply is “we are talking about it and it sounds like a very exciting prospect…”
The key to the book’s success is the ability to keep the nostalgia and charm of the old book whilst adding some new modern twists that will resonate with the kids of today.
No story would be complete without Silky and Moonface and whilst they continue to mesmerise, they do so in a more relatable way with the secret lands of unicorns, bouncy castles and dragons intriguing the imagination. It’s as if Enid Blyton has put on her invisible cloak and re-appeared in the new millennium. Away from the world of dragons and princesses, Wilson has sometimes been labelled as being too realistic about the issues of young troubled kids and accused of inciting anti-social behaviour.
As a result, the contrast of the approaches towards the different realities within her books could not be more apparent and are testimony to her range and skill as a writer. Tracy Beaker is an example of her more ‘edgy’ characters. The inspiration came from the visuals of orphans in her local paper with direct and blunt descriptions attached, such as “she finds it hard to make friends”.
Wilson was troubled by how these descriptions would have a negative effect on the child and create perceived stereotypes amongst their contemporaries. Tracy Beaker is the realisation of these concerns. “She is a feisty determined little girl, with no one to stick up for her, so she sticks up for herself.” When the TV serialisation was made, parents would often complain about Tracy’s ill-mannered shouting “but the kids get it and that’s what matters”.
Following the huge success of the TV serialisation of Tracy Beaker, has Wilson ever been tempted to write for the stage or screen herself? It appears not: “I’ve been lucky enough to have people do it for me, particularly Emma Reeves and every adaptation of my work has been superb… I know how to write inside children’s heads and that’s what I’ll stick to – it’s horses for courses.”
Wilson has always loved looking at the world through children’s eyes and this has informed her writing throughout her career. “Children have always triggered my interest. I have very vivid memories of my childhood and I’m always more interested in the effect on children, rather than adults, in anything I’m watching or reading about”.
Now in her 70’s, Wilson is excited by the talent following on behind. She makes particular reference to Katherine Rundell author of Rooftoppers. “She’s going from strength to strength, she’s a brilliant writer and very imaginative and is a delight. Her books are also loved equally by both boys and girls.” On the question of how her writing has developed over the years, Wilson hopes that “it has become more stylish” but at the same time points out that she has her own recognisable style and that “there’s always been a part of my head that allows me to subconsciously develop a story as I know where I’m going and what I’m going to write.”
Her advice for aspiring authors…
Wilson’s advice for the next generation of budding authors is to “read lots, not to copy but to see how other people create their literary effects. It also increases your vocabulary and stimulates the imagination. Try to keep a diary and write a few lines every day and when you can’t think what to say this is a great way of training to be a writer. Writing regularly will always help with writers block”. This leads onto Wilson’s motto for life “don’t give up – be it in your professional or personal life, carry on and something surprising might just happen”.
On social media, Wilson struggles with the possibility of it squashing creativity. “I have to fight against my automatic prejudice against something that wasn’t around when I was young.” She also stresses the importance of “reading to children to get them used to the rhythm of the language”. “Children have wonderful dexterity now on their tablets and phones but concentration and getting absorbed in something serious and emotional is sometimes being missed. We always emphasise the importance of teaching empathy and what better way to learn than reading a book.”
Back to Wilson’s final thoughts on the new adventures of The Magic Faraway Tree . “It was like going away on holiday – there was nothing too upsetting or worrying. It’s a reassuring sort of book especially after the last two years with the anxieties children have had – a bit of old fashioned comfort, fun and magic has to be a good thing.”
