"When I started thinking about Midnight, I knew I wanted to explore a relationship between brother and sister which was rather strange, almost on the edge of being a bit creepy."

So says award-winning children's author Jacqueline Wilson who, two years after its publication, is thrilled to see her novel take to the stage.

Violet, the heroine of Midnight, is 12 years old and has lots to wish for, including that Will, her loving but controlling older brother, would be kinder to her and that the beautiful and charismatic Jasmine would be her friend forever.

But most of all, she wishes she could meet her favourite author, Casper Dream, who has a talent for creating magical fairy stories. Perhaps these stories might provide a solution to Violet's problems?

Wilson, whose readers are mostly between the ages of eight and 12, says, "I think this age is a very intense time of life. You feel as passionately as adults do and you're seeing the world with fresh eyes but you're still your own self."

Wilson writes about children and teenagers in today's hard and perplexing society - with sentiment and humour but also vigourous realism.

As a result, she has sold more than 20 million books in the UK alone and become the most borrowed author from British libraries.

The Story Of Tracy Beaker was eventually made into a successful BBC children's series, while Channel 4's dramatisation of Double Act scooped the prestigious Royal Television Society Best Children's Fiction Award.

Wilson enjoys watching stage adaptations because it gives her a chance to watch childrens' reactions.

"I'm very much looking forward to Midnight," she enthuses. "It is darker book than some of my others but there are moments which are darkly humorous."

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by Jacqueline Ross