Award-winning English children's author whose work deals with controversial themes, such as divorce, adoption, and mental illness. Her best-known books include Hetty Feather (2009), Dustbin Baby (2001) and Double Act (1995).
She read voraciously and wrote prolifically during her childhood years in Kingston-upon-Thames, England. She was an excellent student at Coombe Girls' School, but she ended her studies in her late teens and was soon offered a job at the DC Thomson publishing company.
Her Tracy Beaker novel series, which she began releasing in 1991, became extremely popular, and CBBC adapted multiple installments into TV specials.
She was born in Bath, Somerset, England to Harry and Margaret Aitken. She was married to printer-turned-policeman Millar Wilson from 1965 to 2004. She and Millar had one daughter, Emma.
She is a prominent British children's author, much like J.K. Rowling.
