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How can a writer's success be defined? If a writer can get a child hooked on their book from an early age, then we can assume that the writer has been successful. And then there are celebrities who took to writing children's fiction, attempting to connect with them. We take a look at some of these famous personalities.

What does one do after winning a gold medal at Paralympic games?  Well, if you were Ellie Robinson, you would write a children's book! It may not be the dream of many athletes to move away from the glam and glitter of the sports arena to that of the literary world. But that was just what Ellie Robinson did. And her debut novel "Gold Medal Mysteries: Thief on the Track" which was released recently has already received good reviews. The multi-medal-winning British swimmer retired from swimming after the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. Now the athlete is dabbling in writing and her studies. She blends her love for history and sport in the book. According to the athlete, the book is all about personal development and life lessons, which the characters learn as the story progresses. Let's read up on other personalities who came up with children's books!

Paul McCartney

Most of us know Paul McCartney as the world famous rock superstar. But did you know that the former Beatle singer also wrote a book for children? Titled "Hey Grandude", the name Grandude being based on a nickname given to McCartney by one of his grandchildren, the book follows the adventures of a retired hippie who takes his grandkids on a wondrous journey. It is the relationship that McCartney shared with his grandkids that inspired him to create the book. While the title may make Beatle fans think of "Hey Jude", the book follows the fictional family as they take off on adventures, all thanks to the magic compass that the Grandude has which will let them travel anywhere! Another book he wrote for kids in Grandude's Green Submarine.

Whoopi Goldberg

Actress-comedian Whoopi Goldberg has carved herself a career in the entertainment industry. But children might know her best as the author of the "Sugar Plum Ballerinas" series. It is the first book of the Academy Award winner which revolves around a school of ballet. The setting is the "Nutcracker School of Ballet in Harlem where aspiring ballerinas learn to do the plié, and chassé turns. The protagonist is Alexandrea Petrakova Johnson, who is forced to join the school and leave her friends behind all because of her mother who wants her to be a ballerina. Soon she is chosen to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in the school recital and has a massive task at hand to tackle the challenges and perform. Apart from the books in the "Sugar Plum Ballerinas" series, "Alice" is another book written by the author for children.

Frank Lampard

How about reading a story that blends magic and football? When England footballer Frank Lampard turned to write fiction, he chose to bring in two of his favourite elements, the sport of football and history. And he chose to write for children. His first children's book "Frankie's Magic Football" followed the adventures of Frankie, a school boy and his friends who love football. The story delves not just into football but also offers nuggets of wisdom and life lessons. He touches upon themes such as fairplay, bravery, goals and so on in his book. The collection that follows Frankie's journey includes a plethora of books such as "Frankie vs The Pirate Pillagers", "Frankie vs The Rowdy Romans", "Frankie vs The Cowboy's Crew” and so on.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams revolutionised sports. Her style of play, talent and determination has turned her into a legend in women's tennis. But do you know what else makes her even more intriguing? The fact that she chose to write a book for children, a book centred around a little girl who starts to trust and believe in herself with the help of her doll "Qai Qai". William's first book "The Adventures of Qai Qai" was released in 2022. Qai Qai is inspired by William's daughter Olympia's doll. Williams had earlier mentioned how reading out a story was an important part of their (Williams and daughter) bedtime routine.

Tom Fletcher

Talk about musicians-turned-writers and you have many. While some have tried their hand at fiction, some have attempted to write children's books. Among them, musician Tom Fletcher has truly carved a niche for himself in the children's book category. Apart from being the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the English pop rock band "McFly". Fletcher is into penning books for children. With the book "Christmasaurus", he made a giant splash in the literary world and slowly became one of the UK's most popular children's authors. His book “The Creakers" turned out to be a number-one bestseller. He is also noted for his bestselling picture books such as "There's a Monster in Your Book". "There's an Elf in Your Book", and "There's a Dragon in Your Book". The book he wrote with his bandmate titled "The Dinosaur That Pooped" sold over a million copies. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages.

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Frances Hodgson Burnett was born on November 24, 1849, in Manchester, England. Following the death of her father in 1854, her family faced financial hardships. In 1865, the family made the decision to immigrate to the U.S. and settled in New Market, a town near Knoxville, Tennessee. However, the anticipated support from a maternal uncle did not materialise as expected, adding further challenges to their situation.

Driven by the need to support her family, Burnett started writing for magazines at the age of 19. Her first published work was a short story called Surly Tim's Trouble, which appeared in a magazine in 1868. Burnett's breakthrough came with the publication of her novel Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1886, which garnered immense popularity and established her as a successful writer. She went on to write numerous novels, plays, and short stories, captivating readers with her vivid imagination and memorable characters. Some of her other notable works include A Little Princess (1905) and The Secret Garden (1911), both beloved classics in children's literature.

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden novel was one of his popular novels. The novel centres around Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old girl living in India with her privileged British family. Mary is depicted as a self-centred and ill-tempered child, accustomed to being pampered by her domestic help while receiving little attention from her distant parents. However, her life takes a tragic turn when a cholera epidemic sweeps through the region, claiming the lives of her parents and the household staff, leaving her orphaned. After a short stay with an English clergyman's family, she is sent to live with her widowed uncle, Archibald Craven, at his Yorkshire estate, Misselthwaite Manor in England.

In the estate, Mary uncovers a fascinating neglected hidden garden. Assisted by Dickon, a local boy, and her cousin Colin, who suffers from a mysterious ailment, she begins to restore the garden to its former beauty.

What makes it a classic?

The healing power of nature

This novel highlights the enduring connection between humans and the natural world, and the positive impact that nature can have on our well-being. In today's fast-paced and technologically driven society, many people find themselves disconnected from nature, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and a sense of detachment. The theme of nature's healing power in the novel serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative influence that reconnecting with the natural world can have on us. The story emphasises the restorative qualities of spending time in nature, cultivating a garden, and embracing the outdoors. The process of tending to the garden becomes a metaphor for personal growth and emotional healing. Mary, Colin, and even Archibald finds inner peace, resilience, and a renewed zest for life as they immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the garden.

A novel about self-discovery

The Secret Garden is a captivating tale of self-discovery. Through the enchanting garden, characters such as Mary, Colin, and Archibald undergo transformative journeys. Mary learns empathy and love as she cares for the garden. Colin overcomes his fears and finds his own identity. Archibald finally musters the courage to confront the unresolved issues of his past, which he had been avoiding all this time and embraces healing. The garden serves as a metaphor for their inner landscapes, guiding them towards personal growth and fulfilment.

Their journeys demonstrate the profound impact self-reflection, connection with nature, and meaningful relationships can have in unlocking one's true potential and finding happiness.

Legal action against copycats

Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of the beloved children's book The Little Lord Fauntleroy, did not back down when faced with piracy of her work. When an English playwright named E.B. Seebohm unlawfully adapted her book into a stage play, Burnett took him to court. The court ruled in her favour. declaring that Seebohm had illicitly copied portions of her book for his play. As a result, a legal order was granted, effectively putting an end to the era of British authors being exploited by copycats who freely profited from dramatising popular books.

In recognition of her efforts, Frances received a diamond bracelet and ring from The Society of British Authors, who also held a gala in her honour.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Originally published in 1910, The Secret Garden made its debut in the pages of The American Magazine, a publication primarily catering to adults. This unique start as a serialised story in a magazine for adults possibly led to some confusion regarding its target audience, as it became one of the first children's tales to appear in such a medium before being released as a standalone book.
• The name "Mary" in The Secret Garden draws inspiration from the English nursery rhyme Mary. Mary, quite contrary. In the initial chapters of the book, the protagonist is portrayed as a rude and spoiled child. The other children mock her by reciting the nursery rhyme and referring to her as "Mistress Mary Quite Contrary". While Burnett initially considered using Mistress Mary as the working title for the book, she ultimately settled on The Secret Garden instead.

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English novelist, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights was the author’s first and last novel. It is widely considered by many as one of the most incredible pieces of imaginative literature in the English canon. Let's find out what makes it a classic.

About the author

Emily Jane Bronte was born on July 30, 1818, in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. She was the fifth of six children, and the fourth daughter of Patrick Bronte and Marie Branwell. Her father was a remarkable man and a minister of the Anglican church. The author lost her mother at the tender age of three. This was the first great loss the family had to come to terms with. In 1825, Emily was sent to join her sisters Maria, Elizabeth, and Charlotte at school. Following the tuberculosis epidemic at the institution that claimed the life of her two elder sisters, Emily and Charlotte returned home. This incident is also mentioned in her sister Charlotte's magnum opus Jane Eyre. Emily spent the next 10 years of her life at home, where she played, read extensively, and wrote together with her siblings in an inventive creative workshop. During one of such playful workshops, the four participated in fictional world-making, which resulted in Charlotte and their brother Branwell teaming together to create a fictional land called Angria, and Emily with her sister Anne inventing the fictional Pacific Island of Gondol.

Emily was a meticulous reader. Charlotte in her Preface to the 1850 edition of Wuthering Heights elucidated that her sister "always wrote from the impulse of nature". However, Professor Karen O'Brien from the University of Oxford says that Emily Bronte's lone novel is a testament to her extensive reading and understanding of the works of English poets and authors such as Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth, and Lord Byron. The first edition of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights was written under the pseudonym Ellis Bell and published in 1847.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a powerful and complex story of love, obsession, and revenge over two generations. It is narrated by housekeeper Nelly Dean and framed from the perspective of a visiting outsider Mr. Lockwood. This narrative revolves around an orphan named Heathcliff, who is taken in by Mr. Earnshaw and brought to live in Wuthering Heights. The story explores the close-knit bond he forms with his patron's daughter Catherine.

What makes it a classic?

A treatise on women Social conventions were extremely important at the time when Bronte wrote this novel. Italian writer and journalist Italo Calvino, in his book The Uses of Literature, said. "A classic is a classic book because it had never finished what it had to say", and Wuthering Heights stands true to this statement. One might think of it as just a love story. Well yes, but it's also a story of ghosts, obsession, and haunting. Where Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters predecessor, wrote about the purpose of romance and how it was intangibly linked to or ended in marriage, Emily Bronte's sole novel is a treatise on women and tries to explore what is important to her gender other than the pursuit of marriage.

Making a statement

Through Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte changed what was possible and acceptable for women to write, and how women and men can be portrayed in fiction. Her characters challenged the social expectation that one's emotions and how they are expressed or dealt with must be dictated by an individual's gender. It advocated that all the things.

that we as people feel are not so different just because one is a man or a woman. It broke away from the tradition that dictated that women must only write about acceptable things (such as love and marriage) and elements of the domestic sphere. It objected to the idea that men (especially heroes) are not capable of emoting grief and passion or being allowed to display any negative emotions such as vengeance. Wuthering Heights is not a moralising novel and calls the hypocrisy of the society that divides people on the basis of gender, turns a blind eye to the violence it inflicts in the name of religion, set unrealistic moral expectations, and is more concerned with respectability, than working towards creating an equal society.

Emily Bronte's exceptional imagination in Wuthering Heights, says English author Kate Mosse, "makes it clear that a woman who is an artist and a man who is an artist have the same mission-to write what we think is true and to write what we think matters, this makes her sole novel one for the ages."

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