Note to my teen self

Many children and teenagers keep a diary to process their daily lives, but what advice would their grown-up selves give? Arlene Harris meets four women from different fields to find an answer.

ADRIAN Mole had one, so did Bridget Jones. And as for the Wimpy Kid, he had several. Diaries – the little books beloved of teenagers (and adults) all over the world — help us to note, remember, and process the daily dramas of our lives.

An exhibition is running in the V&A Museum of Childhood in London featuring extracts from teenage diaries written over the past 200 years. Once meant for the writer’s eyes only, they offer a unique insight into the life of young adults over the centuries.