Louise Rennison facts for kids

Louise Rennison (born October 11, 1951 – died February 29, 2016) was a popular English writer and comedian. She was best known for her funny books for teenage girls. Her most famous series was Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. This series followed the adventures of a teenage girl named Georgia Nicolson and her best friends, the Ace Gang. Louise Rennison also wrote another series about Georgia's younger cousin, called The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey.

Before becoming a writer, Louise Rennison was a comedian. She had several successful one-woman shows. These included Stevie Wonder Felt My Face, Bob Marley's Gardener Sold My Friend, and Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head.

Louise Rennison's Early Life

Louise Rennison grew up in Leeds, England. She lived in a busy house with her parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin. She went to Parklands High School, an all-girls school, from age 11. She later said this school helped her become a funny writer.

When she was 15, her family moved to Wairakei, New Zealand. After returning to the UK, Louise lived in a small flat in Notting Hill. She worked many different jobs. Eventually, she decided to follow her dream of acting. She enrolled in a Performing Arts course at the University of Brighton. In Brighton, she joined a dance company called Divas. She also helped create a comedy group called Women with Beards. Later, she performed as a comedy duo called Etheldreda.

Becoming a Famous Author

Louise Rennison's big break came with her one-woman comedy show, "Stevie Wonder Felt My Face." She performed this show on tour, even at the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The BBC later made a special TV show about it.

After her comedy success, she started writing for radio shows and a London newspaper. Her newspaper column was about things she found interesting. Because her writing was so funny and personal, a publisher asked her to write a diary-style book for teenagers. They thought her writing style would be perfect for it.

Her first novel was published in 1999. It quickly became a worldwide bestseller. It was translated into 34 different languages! When she wrote her first book, she accidentally used the real names of people from her childhood. Because of this, her childhood friends could easily recognize themselves in the stories.

Louise Rennison often said she wrote to make herself laugh, not to teach lessons. She wanted her main character, Georgia, to be a good person. She described Georgia as "a bit stupid and self-obsessed and difficult and funny and rude, and a bit jealous... But I wanted her to have a good heart." Louise also believed her books were for more than just teenage girls. She hoped they would encourage girls to talk about what they wanted to do and who they wanted to be.

In 2010, she started a second book series. This new series was about Georgia's cousin, and it was called The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey.

Louise Rennison passed away on February 29, 2016. Her publisher, HarperCollins, announced her death.

Awards and Recognition

Louise Rennison received several awards for her amazing books:

• In 1999, she won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award.
• In 2004, her fourth book, Dancing in my Nuddy-Pants, became a number one bestseller on The New York Times Best Seller list.
• In 2008, she was given the "Queen of Teen" award.
• In 2010, she won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for Withering Tights. This was the first book in The Misadventures of Tallulah Casey series.