Susan Lillian "Sue" Townsend, FRSL (2 April 1946 – 10 April 2014) was an English writer and humorist whose work encompasses novels, plays and works of journalism. She was best known for creating Adrian Mole.After writing in secret from the age of 14, Townsend first became known for her plays, her signature character first appearing in a radio drama, but her work soon expanded into other forms. She enjoyed great success in the 1980s, with her Adrian Mole books selling more copies than any other work of fiction in Britain during the decade. This series, which eventually encompassed nine books, takes the form of the character's diaries. The earliest books recount the life of a teenage boy during the Thatcher years, but the sequence eventually depicts Adrian Mole in middle age. The Queen and I (1992), another popular work which was well received, was an outlet for her republican sentiments, although the Royal Family is still rendered with sympathy. Both the earliest Adrian Mole book and The Queen and I were adapted for the stage and enjoyed successful runs in London's West End.Townsend was poor until well into her thirties, and used her experiences of hardship in her work. In her later years she suffered ill health, in part related to the diabetes she developed in the mid-1980s, and in her last years endured serious sight and mobility problems.
Leicester, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom
Profession
Writer, Producer, Miscellaneous Crew
Nationality
British
Spouse
Colin Broadway
Children
Sean, Daniel, Victoria, Elizabeth
Star Sign
Aries
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Quote
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I do think that books, good books, free you. They make you feel a citizen of the world, and things like class, sex and age don't matter. They're the greatest leveler.
2
[on Margaret Thatcher] She walked alone and friendless to school and back. She did not play with other girls in the playground at break. Instead she volunteered to clean the school lavatories. She took these early experiences with her to Downing Street and had her revenge. She made greed respectable.
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Fact
1
She left school when she was 15. She worked as a gas station attendant, shop assistant, and factory worker.
2
[2001] Is registered blind as a result of having suffered for some years with diabetes.