成人论坛

18 January 2018

Fabulous children's author Jacqueline Wilson came in for a chat with Jo, as part of the Nation's Favourites series of interviews with the biggest talents in British culture.

She showed off her fantastic music taste, talked passionately about why we need to save our libraries, and gave a real insight into her working life.

The warm, inspiring interview got us thinking about all the wonderful children's authors who give great advice for life - however old you are.

Here are some of our favourite pieces of wisdom...

Jacqueline Wilson has written over a hundred books so far, giving delight and comfort to millions of children. Her realistic novels don't shy away from topics such as divorce, bullying and mental illness.

"Be a little bit different," she told the Radio Times in 2013, and we have to agree that's good advice.

JK Rowling, creator of the 400m selling Harry Potter series of books, needs no introduction. She's also a committed philanthropist, a fierce Twitter wit and a giver of invaluable life advice.

In her 2008 Harvard University commencement address, she had some choice words about the importance of making mistakes.

"Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.”

For 90 years, generations of children (and adults) have adored reading about the adventures of Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Christopher Robbin in the Hundred Acre Wood. And for a bear supposedly of "very little brain," AA Milne's character Pooh dishes out some very good life advice.

This quote from the grumpy donkey Eeyore inspires us to be mindful of those around us...

"A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference."

Former Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman is one of Britain's best loved and most successful children's authors. A trailblazing advocate for diversity in children's publishing, her acclaimed Noughts and Crosses series uses a fictional dystopia to examine racism.

Like almost every author who goes on to be a roaring success, Malorie faced plenty of rejection early on in her career. She inspires us to never, ever give up.

In 2013 she told The Guardian the most important lesson that life had taught her.

"When life knocks you down, keep getting up."

Philip Pullman's books are so complex, rich and imaginative that as many adults read them as young people. The author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, and the new The Book Of Dust series, is a passionate believer in the essential power of stories to teach us how to live.

In his 2013 Carnegie Medal acceptance speech he extolled us all to read as much as we can.

"We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: we need books, time, and silence. Thou shalt not is soon forgotten, but Once upon a time lasts forever."

Comic, actor, presenter and TV judge David Walliams is also a children's author, who has sold over 20 million copies of his books.

One of his most-loved works, Gangsta Granny, contains this brilliant nugget of inspiring wisdom.

"All you can do in this life is follow your dreams. Otherwise you're just wasting your time.”

Roald Dahl, the creator of iconic books like Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is widely hailed as one of the greatest children's authors of all time.

Many people love this piece of life advice, taken from his very last book The Minpins.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

Like us on , on Instagram at , or follow us on Twitter