‘I never have a day off, not even Christmas Day’
Dame Jacqueline Wilson talks about her family, village life and latest book
When I was young, Christmas was a bit odd. My parents didn’t get on, so it wasn’t always a happy time. Although I looked forward to it, my feelings lurched between high excitement and great anxiety, as there were terrible rows that often ended in disaster. One year, my father threw the turkey across the room! I had my daughter, Emma, when I was 21. By that time, my parents had separated so Christmas had calmed down, though there was still a bit of tension surrounding which one of them to spend the day with. Watching Emma’s excitement was lovely. I’m so lucky that we’ve always been close. She’s 51 now so we don’t always spend Christmas together, but we’re great friends.
One thing that’s guaranteed is I’ll start the day by writing. Every morning, I get up early, feed my cat, Jacob, let my dog, Jackson, into the garden, make a coffee and get back into bed. There, I spend an hour propped up against the pillows with my laptop. I’m still half asleep when I start, which means all sorts of ideas come to me. I try to write between 500 and 1,000 words each morning – and I’ll do the same on Christmas Day! My new book, My Mum Tracy Beaker,
tells the story of one of my most famous characters as an adult.
Generally when I finish a book, the characters disappear from my mind, but Tracy has never faded. For years, people have asked me what happened to her and I’ve made flippant comments about how maybe one day I’d bring her back. Then I began to think – what if I actually did?
Last year, I bought my first ever proper Christmas tree.
I’d just moved from London to the Sussex countryside. I bought a huge tree and decked the whole house out with loads of decorations, which I really enjoyed doing. Christmas in my village is very special. Each shop decorates a window and there’s a real sense of celebration. Last year, I was lucky enough to be asked to switch on the village lights. Although I’m not religious, I went to the Christingle service at the local church, where all the children were in Nativity costumes. One little boy was dressed up as a camel, and watching him get fed up and start galloping up and down the aisle was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen!
There’s nothing better than community spirit. I’m not the greatest cook, so last Christmas was perfect because two lovely guys in the village invited me and a group of others for a splendid Christmas lunch. After that, some other local friends laid on an elaborate tea. Hopefully this year’s celebrations will involve just as much eating and chatting.
As one year ends and the next begins, I’m feeling grateful for my health.
When you’re younger, you expect to be healthy for ever, and I used to take pride in being fit for my age. That changed in 2009 when I suffered heart failure and had a defibrillator fitted. My kidneys were badly damaged, meaning I needed dialysis three times a week. A few years ago, I had a kidney transplant. I did worry about the future for a while, but it’s faded in my mind now. I’m active and happy, and I have a lot to be thankful for as the festive season approaches.
• My Mum Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson (Random House) in out now
‘There’s a real sense of celebration in my village’