marvellous

Other authors and previous Children's Laureates who have welcomed the announcement included Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who said it was "a marvellous idea".

She was an only child, described by her father as "marvellous", a "free spirit" and a "hard worker" who studied in Cardiff, Paris and Los Angeles.

"We're happy to celebrate his rather weird, to some degree not happy, but to some degree rather extraordinary and marvellous life."

Leigh sought to press home their advantage but Dufty came up with a marvellous tackle and ball steal, over the line, on Darnell McIntosh as he caught a Lachlan Lam chip to the corner.

"When you finish the item and see that it looks good, and then sometimes sells out, it's marvellous," she says.