Novelist Susan Lillian ‘Sue’ Townsend, aged 68 years old, has sadly died.
The bestselling author of a nation’s favourite story, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ died this past Thursday the 10th of April, at her home in Leicester following a short illness, and a stroke.
Sue’s other books along with the Adrian Mole franchise were also a huge success. Her most recent novel, The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year published by Michael Joseph in 2012, sold over half a million copies, and that is in the UK alone. Over the years, Townsend proved to be one of the nation’s most esteemed authors, and she received many accolades to mark this title, including an honorary MA from Leicester University, the city in which she was born and also died, and the Specsavers National Book Awards Audiobook of the Year for The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year (narrated by Caroline Quentin).
Her words will no doubt still be read for many more years to come, and so they should. We say goodbye to a great British author and all-round wonderful woman, and should all pick up one of her books to salute her contributions to literature.
Thank you, Sue Townsend!