Even with an additional 80 reserve seats being made available all 560 tickets for our first event in 2006 presented in partnership with Hoddesdon Library and featuring Jacqueline Wilson sold out two weeks in advance. For an hour on stage the hugely popular children’s author and current Children’s Laureate chatted about her life and writing as well as reading an exclusive extract from her forthcoming Tracy Beaker book. Six girls who had won a competition we ran jointly with the Hoddesdon Mercury and Hoddesdon Library were then invited up on stage to ask their favourite author a question. Jacqueline then presented each girl with a signed poster and copy of one of her books.

While we entertained 200 children with a special Jacqueline Wilson Quiz featuring a number of signed books as prizes, the diminutive but feisty author embarked on a marathon 3 hour signing session. This event garnered an extraordinary amount of coverage in the local press – particularly in the Hoddesdon Mercury who ran the competition with us to chose the six children to come and quiz Jacqueline on the night. In the second week of January they featured Jacqueline on the front cover of their Whats On Magazine with a full page exclusive interview inside.