‘I’m parking my guilt’: confessions of a celebrity children’s book ghost writer

As an author whose own books never find their way to supermarket shelves, it’s frustrating work – but it puts food on my family’s table

Once a rare species, celebrity authored children’s books have become stalwarts of supermarket books aisles. Perfect for a grandparent hunting a last-minute Christmas gift, or a parent looking for something that will appeal to a child reluctant to read, books by stars have become the go-to for many. Those buying them might have it in the back of their minds that these “authors” might not have done much of the writing. But that doesn’t matter, does it? As long as the kids are reading, that’s what counts.

For children’s authors who do write their own stuff, it’s a little galling. They’d give their hind teeth for a spot on that shelf – and surely they are no less deserving of exposure and recognition. As a writer of children’s fiction, I’ve been known to turn a shade of green, too. But I’m conflicted, because in addition to writing original and mostly unrecognised books for young readers, I also work as a ghost writer.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/DajT9P7