Startled by His Furry Shorts

About Louise Rennison

Louise Rennison (1951 – 2016) A hugely popular writer and comedian, who wrote brilliantly funny stories for teenage girls including the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, the first of which was made into a successful movie.

When Louise was 15, her parents decided to emigrate to Wairakei in New Zealand. Its main claim to fame is that it had some of the most violent geothermal activity in the world. "When we had Sunday lunch in the back garden, the tables heaved and lurched around, and the trees went backwards and forwards. That was because underneath the table, underneath the earth's surface, thousands of cubic feet of molten steam was trying to get out … and kill us!" Louise's dad had his shoes blown off by a rogue bore.

Louise's research for her books required many hours hanging around with 14-year-olds which is, as she said, "Brilliant - the best fun known to humanity. It's all boys, make-up, laughing and, er, that's it.”