A writer who inspired a city and a generation

One of Leicester’s most inspirational and influential writers

Leicester has moved from euphoria to shock in a matter of days.

The joy at seeing Leicester City finally confirm their long-awaited return to the Premier League has been swiftly replaced by grief over the passing of Sue Townsend, one of the city’s most notable and cherished literary figures.

When the news broke via social media. many reacted with shock and disbelief.  It was only when Bali Rai, a fellow author and friend of Sue’s took to Twitter to confirm her death that rumours of a cruel hoax could finally be dispelled.

Born and raised in what might charitably be described as modest surroundings in the south of Leicester, Sue initially sowed few signs of the stratospheric talent that lay within her possession.  Indeed she left school at 15 and became a mother while still in her teens.  It was only once her second husband persuaded her to join a writers’ workshop at the former Phoenix Theatre that her prowess as a writer became apparent.

Sue was best known for her numerous works featuring the progress of Adrian Mole from adolescence to middle age.  Mole was a socially-awkward individual with whom many in the 1980s could readily identify, and he soon attracted a substantial following which has remained loyal through the decades.

But Sue’s creative talents extended well beyond that.  Her book, The Queen and I, in which the royal family is forced into internal exile on a Midlands council estate, displayed a particularly keen, and much-appreciated sense of humour which succeeded in disarming and pacifying the most ardent of monarchists.

Wealth and fame did not spoil her in any way, shape or form.  Despite battling with diabetes and consequent blindness during the later years of her life, Sue remained in touch with her working-class roots and became a fierce critic of New Labour, particularly in the aftermath of the Iraq war.

The volume and range of tributes to her on social media, even during the early hours, illustrate the deep affection with which Sue was regarded, not just in Leicester and Leicestershire, but nationally and beyond.

She was warm, witty and a wonderful writer.  It is to be hoped that the city council will devise a fitting way of celebrating her life and honouring her memory in a manner which will reflect the enormous esteem in which she was held within the community.

Sue was an iconic talent, who will be greatly missed by family, friends and followers alike.