Dame Jacqueline Wilson, the beloved children's author, has opened up about her unhappy childhood, revealing a lifelong struggle with anxiety. In a rare interview, the 70-year-old writer discussed how her parents' constant arguments and her father's temper left her feeling frightened and anxious, feelings she now recognizes as stemming from her early years.
Wilson, whose 105th novel 'Clover Moon' is published next month, said she had no idea how sad she was as a child. 'If you'd asked me as I was growing up was I happy, I'd have said yes, and been absolutely certain I was. If I was sometimes nervous or anxious, which I was, I would have thought it was my fault,' she explained.
The author, known for tackling difficult topics like divorce and neglect in her books, said her own family life in the 1950s and 1960s was marked by daily rows between her parents. Her father, Harry, was a depressive civil servant, while her mother, Margaret, wanted a divorce but felt unable to leave. Wilson recalled that their fights sometimes turned physical, with shoving and slapping.
Wilson described living in constant fear of her father's temper, saying, 'You never knew quite what you would say or do that would set my dad off. I was frequently frightened of him right up until the day he died.' She also remembered her parents putting her in the middle of their arguments, asking her to take sides.
The author said she developed a nervous cough and sucked her thumb as a result of the tension at home. She noted that her mother wanted a chirpy, confident daughter like Shirley Temple, but Wilson was a shy child. Despite the difficulties, Wilson said she thought her family life was normal at the time.
Wilson believes her own experiences have given her books an authenticity that resonates with readers. 'I get so many letters and emails from children in the modern equivalent of the household I was brought up in. I think slightly dysfunctional families are actually more common than people realise,' she said.
