With her silver hair and black clothes Jacqueline Wilson jokes she could be mistaken for a wicked witch.

But her hordes of young fans could not disagree more - to them she will always be the fairy godmother.

The prolific children's writer has a veritable army of devotees among girls of a certain age, and on Sunday hundreds of them flocked to the Kings Hall to hear their idol speak.

The excitement was palpable as the award-winning author took to the stage. With her pointy black boots and no less than ten enormous rings adorning her fingers the author of Tracey Beaker, Double Act, and Sleepovers - among many others works - retains a youthful style which belies her 57 years.

And although she says she feels like a "surrogate granny" to countless children she can just as easily put herself into the mind of a ten year old. Jacqueline, who is publicising her new book Midnight, explained her uncanny ability to take on the persona of a child in stories.

"As I get older I forget how I felt last week but I still vividly remember childhood," she said.

But she is at pains to point out that her books - many about gritty subjects such as divorce and adoption - are not a retelling of her own early years.

"Sometimes children think that everything I write about is through personal experience - in which case I would have had the most tragic childhood ever," she joked.

Nevertheless her determination to write about more challenging topics was spawned in her own childhood.

"When I was growing up I wanted to read stories that were more relevant to the 1950s than Enid Blyton books," she said.

Not that she is out to criticise other authors. Refusing to add her voice to the chorus of disapproval against Madonna's foray into the world of children's books she admitted she couldn't really see it being a major contender against Harry Potter.

But she added tactfully: "She is a better writer than I am a singer."

The award-winning author and OBE holder can afford to be magnanimous as she unashamedly enjoys her role as the schoolgirl's favourite.

Jacqueline takes her responsibilities to her fans seriously and tries to reply to every letter she receives - although with 300 a week coming in now she admits it is becoming "really, really difficult."

She is also well-known for her dedication to book-signing - never calling a halt until every last child is satisfied. On Sunday the task took more than two hours.

There was certainly no sign of disappointment in the Kings Hall as the author of 75 books gave youngsters the inside story.

"I never put real people in my books," she said. "Because you are taking a bit of a risk there. If they don't like the way you portray them they might get very cross with you."

She also shies away from using a computer wherever possible, preferring old-fashioned pens and paper. But when she began writing for TV she was persuaded to go high-tech.

"I was very worried about getting a computer and didn't know which one to choose.

"So I made the simple girlie choice of going for the one that looked the prettiest."

She was also, she told the approving audience, signing copies of her new book Midnight with a special purple pen to match the cover.

Jacqueline, who has never been to Ilkley before said she would certainly come back.

She revealed: "I am a huge fan of Betty's tea rooms and I have just had the most delicious lunch."