Jackie has spent more than two decades working in the media, for national newspapers and magazines and been top of her profession for the last sixteen years, first as editor of Parents magazine and, for fourteen years, Editor-in-Chief of Bella, Britain’s biggest-selling women’s weekly magazine.
During her first eighteen months with Bauer, she also devised and brought to launch, Take A Break, a combined puzzle and real-life story magazine, now selling 1.5 million a week. At this point she spent two years in New York, editing a new monthly launch for Bauer, then returned to Britain to continue with Bella. Jackie does a lot of TV and radio work and recently did a current affairs series with Anglia TV. She is a regular contributor to BBC radio, plus commercial stations.
Because of her successful, high profile career, her huge network of media contacts is fascinated by Jackie’s ‘other’ life – that of jazz singer/songwriter. They know her as a professional journalist who has reached the top in one notoriously tough industry but who, instead of thinking about downsizing to play with her grandchildren, is actually starting a brand-new career in another tough area – the music industry. It’s a story that has a lot of editorial appeal – there is a life after kids; it’s never too late to fulfil your dreams.
BBC’s Woman’s Hour has already made a fly -on- the- wall documentary about the process Jackie has gone through finding a music producer – Two Camels – and making a demo, recording the sessions as they happened and interviewing Two Camels. BBC 1 have made a documentary about Jackie’s life change.
However, in addition, Jackie is intending to pursue writing commissions and has several timely book and series proposals, which RCL will be handling. UK & Commonwealth Volume rights in her first book, NOW, WHERE HAVE I PUT MY GLASSES? CARING FOR YOUR PARENTS – A PRACTICAL AND EMOTIONAL LIFELINE – were snapped up by Simon & Schuster for publication in April 2007. The Daily Mail bought first serial rights, publishing three major extracts, over a three-week period. Rights have now reverted and the book will now be reissued by Lume Boioks.
Jackie was commissioned by Piatkus (Little, Brown) to write a book on Grandparents, published in 2008 under the title, THE MODERN GRANDPARENTS’ GUIDE. Once again, Jackie’s skills as a writer come to the fore as she covers the many facets of grandparenting. (Translation rights via RCL.) The mass market paperback edition was issued in Autumn 2009 and the book is now being reissued by Lume Books.