Jacqueline Wilson has said she would never write an adult book about Tracy Beaker.
The 79-year-old children’s book author shot to fame in 1991 with The Story of Tracy Beaker, marking the beginning of a hugely popular trilogy that spanned The Dare Game (2000) and Starring Tracy Beaker (2006).
Wilson’s novels gained further recognition when they were adapted into a hit CBBC series starring Dani Harmer in the titular role. The show ran for five seasons from 2002 to 2005.
She reflected on the career-defining character during an appearance at the 2025 Hay Literature Festival, which has partnered with The Independent for a second year.
Speaking with fellow author Kate Mosse (The Taxidermist’s Daughter), Wilson told the crowd that Tracy was off the table when it came to her adult novels – despite featuring as a supporting character in My Mum, Tracy Beaker (2018) and We Are the Beaker Girls (2019), both of which are told through the eyes of Tracy’s daughter Jess.
“I did touch on Tracy as an adult written by her daughter Jess, but because she’s become [so big] mostly because of the television show and so much a part of things, I would feel very wary about writing about Tracy in an adult book,” said Wilson.
“It would be inappropriate that we would learn about Tracey’s sex life, because she’s my baby. She’s my girl that made everything happen for me.”
Wilson’s popular Beaker series followed the witty and extremely articulate 10-year-old Tracy Beaker, who lives in a children’s home nicknamed The Dumping Ground. She navigates feelings of anger, sadness and loneliness as she fantasises about her absent and glamorous mother coming to take her away.
My Mum Tracy Beaker was adapted into a CBBC miniseries in 2021, with Harmon reprising her role as Tracy and child star Emma Maggie Davis playing Jess.
Although Wilson appeared certain of her decision, the author was sure to say that nothing is ever definite, stating: “Several times, I’ve said I’d never do that and then some years later, I think, well… but I could do it this way.”
Last year, the author brought back other fan-favourite characters in her first adult novel Think Again.
Released in 2024, the book caught up with Ellie, Magda, and Nadine – the teen protagonists of Wilson’s bestselling Girls in Love series, who are now in their forties and navigating obstacles such as motherhood, work and love.
“It gives me pleasure [to return to characters],” said Wilson. “I do like to go back.”
Elsewhere at Hay Festival, Wilson spoke about the “devastating” break from her longtime illustrator Nick Sharratt who illustrated all of the Tracy Beaker novels.
Their creative partnership came to an end in 2021 after 30 years, with Sharratt choosing to focus on his other projects.
“We are still very good friends,” Wilson assured the audience at Hay. “We live quite near each other and see each other every now and then.”
Praised for her down-to-earth and humorous storytelling, Wilson has written approximately 120 books and sold over 40 million copies in the UK alone.
She was awarded an OBE in 2002 for her services to literacy in schools, after which she was made a dame in 2007.
