Children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson comes out as gay at 74, says next book will be about same-sex love
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who came out publically as gay at age 74, has finally decided to tackle same-sex love in some depth in her next book 'Love Frankie'. It will be the best-selling children's novelist's 111th book.
Wilson told The Guardian she wanted to write “a truthful, honest book about a girl falling in love with another girl." However, she clarified that it was not aimed solely at young gay teenagers, saying, "it’s aimed at all teenagers who have ever worried because they haven’t fallen in love, or they have fallen in love.” Perfectly aware that the story "would shine a little light on my own private life”, she says that she put her "heart and soul" into the book.
After publically coming out, she said, "I’ve never really been in any kind of closet. It would be such old news for anybody that has ever known anything much about me." For fans who have wanted her to write about same-sex love, the book is a long-awaited addition to Wilson's body of work.
Her books focus on children with problems, battling bullying, depression, parent's divorce or illness. Before this, she had told fans who wanted her to write about being gay that she didn’t see “any problem" with being gay. But she has since acknowledged that adolescence can be a confusing (and distressing time) when you are figuring out your sexuality.
The basic plot of 'Love Frankie' revolves around Frankie, the middle daughter with two sisters. As a tomboyish nerd who is into books, Frankie, like other Wilson heroines, is having a tough time at home and school. Her mum has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and her dad has left their family to pursue a new romance. To top it all off, the girls in her school are mean to her because she is different. But then, she falls for Sally, one of the prettiest, coolest girl in class.
Those who have read her 2007 novel 'Kiss' will see the parallels in 'Love Frankie'. In that book, the protagonist Sylvie can’t understand why Carl, the boy-next-door who is also her best friend, isn’t interested in her romantically. In 'Love Frankie' as well, Frankie's neighbor, Sammy, has a crush on her and doesn't understand why she doesn't love him back though they are best friends. The book will be published in August.
Wilson has been living with her partner Trish for the last 18 years, who she met after her marriage broke down in her early 50s. She said a friend had once told her: “I don’t think you are a lesbian, I think you are a Trishian.” It is a description that Wilson says "really sums me up.” She also doesn't see herself as the ideal role model for gay teenagers. “I don’t think that girls would ever want a grey-haired, wrinkly writer as a role model," she said. "If they were wanting to feel good about maybe being gay, I’m sure they could find much more glamorous examples.”