Jacqueline Wilson

“I love days when I can actually relax and write in my study in peace. Most of the time, I’m so busy that I have to learn to write in cars; on trains; wherever. When I’m lucky enough to have a free day, I love to come into the study and get on with my work.

I’m very old-fashioned; I have these wonderful Italian notebooks, and I write everything in scribbly longhand. When that’s all done, I have to sort of genuflect in front of my computer because I am such a technophobe. This is the only computer I’ve ever had, and when this one dies, I just won’t be able to write anything else!

Up above me, I have a Paula Rego print which I’m particularly fond of; It’s from Peter Pan, and there’s a very muscular mermaid trying to drown Wendy. I don’t quite know what that says about my innermost thoughts about children, but still!

I also have a lovely picture of twins by my friend Nick Sharratt who illustrates all my books: it keeps me in touch with him, even though he’s in his studio in Brighton and I’m in my study in Kingston.

Writers always tell terrible lies and tell people they work eight hours a day. I might tell people that, but I’m not writing solidly; what I’m doing is staring into space, reading a bit, just browsing, sometimes there’s an enormous pile of letters to be dealt with…It’s a bit of a hotch-potch, but this study sums up what it’s like inside my head.”