Author Sally Gardner Admits Shame Over Extravagant Shopping Sprees

Award-winning children’s author Sally Gardner has revealed that a two-decade struggle with a shopping addiction was actually a side effect of prescription medication. Gardner, who has received the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Children’s Book Award, shared that the compulsive behavior led her to spend £700k.

Speaking on the BBC Sounds program Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett, Gardner explained that the addiction was linked to dopamine agonists, a class of drugs she had been taking for 20 years to manage a debilitating condition known as Restless Legs Syndrome.

Discovery of the Cause

The connection between the medication and the compulsive spending was not immediately apparent to Gardner. According to the BBC, the realization occurred after her children heard a BBC radio investigation detailing the extent of compulsive behaviors that these specific drugs can induce.

Following the broadcast, Gardner’s children recognized the patterns in her behavior, leading to the discovery that the extravagant shopping sprees were a medical side effect rather than a personal failing.

Author Sally Gardner’s addiction to shopping has cost her £700k. She has only just discovered this compulsive behaviour is side effect of drugs she’s been prescribed for 20 years.

BBC Sounds

Career and Background

Gardner is well-regarded in the literary world for her work in children’s literature, most notably for the novel Maggot Moon, which earned her both the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Book Award for Children’s Book in 2012. She has also written adult novels under the pseudonym Wray Delaney.

Beyond her professional success, Gardner has been open about other personal challenges. She has previously discussed her experience with chronic dyslexia and how it influenced her journey as a writer, noting that she often thinks in pictures.

By speaking publicly about her ordeal with medication-induced addiction, Gardner aims to highlight the potential for severe side effects associated with dopamine agonists and the importance of recognizing when compulsive behaviors are rooted in medical causes.