Sue Townsend, the creator of most popular character Adrian Mole, has died aged 68 after many years of ill health. Her writing was a mix of social commentary and comedy, with her first ‘Adrian Mole’ novel, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾ published in 1982, becoming an instant bestseller. Eight more Adrian Mole novels were to follow, developing the character into adulthood and eventually middle age, ending with Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years, published in 2009.
Through her writing career, she produced 6 other novels, 11 plays, and two books of non-fiction. Her last novel titled The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year was published in 2012.