What Katy Did

Sarah Chauncey Woolsey was born in 1835 into a wealthy and influential family in Cleveland, Ohio. She worked as a nurse during the American Civil War before establishing a career as a successful and prolific writer of novels, short stories and poems. Her most famous book, What Katy Did, published under her pseudonym Susan Coolidge, was inspired by her own childhood growing up with four younger siblings.
Its publication in 1872 was followed by four sequels. She never married and lived most of her adult life in Rhode island where she died in 1905. Jacqueline is one of the nation's favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. According to a recent Mori poll, Jacqueline was voted English children favourite children's author. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total stands at over 25 million! In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children's Laureate.
In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.