Penguin Random House
Wilson is among the world’s most celebrated children’s authors
Author Dame Jacqueline Wilson has announced Picture Imperfect, an adult sequel to her 1999 children’s book, The Illustrated Mum.
The novel, released on 28 August, will reunite readers with Dolphin and Star, who spent their childhood dealing with their mother, Marigold’s bipolar disorder.
Dolphin, 33, is struggling to move on. Living in a bedsit, working at a tattoo parlour and often collecting her mother from the police station, she hopes romance will save her but is torn between stable Lee and his daughter Ava or a fling with actor Joel. Star, meanwhile, works as a doctor, in Scotland with her family.
Wilson told Scott Mills on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show, on Thursday, World Book Day, she “can’t wait” for reactions to the new book.
The much-loved author, 79, made a dame in 2008, is known for writing about difficult and dark issues in accessible ways.
Most of her books, some of which explore suicide, mental health and domestic violence, are aimed at children aged between seven and 12.
But Picture Imperfect follows Wilson’s first novel for adults since the 1970s, Think Again, released last year as a sequel to the Girls series.
It became the bestselling adult debut hardback of 2024, according to The Bookseller.
“I discovered what fun it is… it’s like a party game – thinking about your childhood favourites that you wrote about,” she told Mills of writing for adults.
“And one of the books that people have mentioned over the years is The Illustrated Mum”.
Penguin Random House
Wilson unveiled a statue of herself covered in tattoos, to celebrate Picture Imperfect
The original book, named after Marigold’s wealth of tattoos, from which Dolphin and Star are named, won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in 2000.
It was adapted into a film starring Michelle Collins in 2003.
Announcing Picture Imperfect on social media, Wilson unveiled a statue of herself covered in tattoos, in Brighton, near her Sussex home, which is set to be moved to a Waterstones in the city.
The author, who will also visit seaside towns across the country for the release of her children’s book The Seaside Sleepover next month, told Mills she planned to go in and stroke the statue occasionally.
The Illustrated Mum is Wilson’s second-highest-selling children’s novel in paperback in the UK, according to publisher Penguin Random House, topped only by her children’s classic Tracy Beaker.
Mills also shared messages from fans – including Dani Harmer, who starred in the 2000s BBC TV adaptation of Tracy Beaker, and its various spin-offs.
Her daughter Avery Bell, eight, was Wilson’s “new biggest fan”, she revealed.
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“It has just been an absolute joy to re-read all of your books with her,” Harmer said.
“We… now discuss them as well and go over all of the amazing topics that you cover in your books.”
Asked by Harmer about the prospect of more Beaker books, Wilson said an adult sequel would be “quite an idea”.
“It’s not coming this year – but who knows?” she added.
