English writer Jacqueline Wilson was BOTD in 1945. Born in Bath and raised in suburban London, she began her career as a journalist for teen magazine Jackie, and wrote crime novels before moving into children’s and young adult fiction. After writing 40 books, her breakthrough came with 1991’s The Story of Tracy Beaker, the story of a young girl growing up in a children’s home, which became a bestseller. Other Tracy Beaker books followed, and she had further success with Bad Girls, The Illustrated Mum and Vicky Angel. Praised for her ability to tackle difficult subjects like parental neglect, bullying and teen sexuality, she was the most-borrowed author in Britain’s libraries for most of the 2000s. In the BBC’s 2003 national poll The Big Read, four of her books were listed among the most popular books in Britain, and many of her books have been successfully adapted for television. Among many accolades, Wilson was appointed Children’s Laureate in 2005. Wilson was married to Millar Wilson in 1965, with whom she had a daughter; the marriage ended when Millar left her for another woman. In 2020, Wilson revealed that she had been in a relationship with Trish Beswick since 2004.