UK author Louise Rennison, witty writer for teens, dies

LONDON (AP) - British writer Louise Rennison, author of the hit young-adult novel "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging," has died.

Her publisher, HarperCollins, tweeted that "it is with huge sadness that we can confirm the death of our much loved author and friend, Louise Rennison."

Her agent, Clare Alexander, told The Bookseller magazine on Tuesday that Rennison died after an illness. She was in her 60s and lived in Brighton on England's southern coast.

Rennison was best known for the humor-packed series "The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson," about a teenager grappling with puberty and embarrassing parents.

According to her publisher, Rennison based several episodes in the books on her own childhood in Leeds, northern England, where she lived in a three-bedroom house "with her mum, dad, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin."

The first two books in the series - "Angus, Thongs..." and "It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers" - were turned into a 2008 movie by "Bend it Like Beckham" director Gurinder Chadha.

"Nobody wrote for teenagers like she did. She understood them, their lives and their extraordinary and powerful friendships," HarperCollins said in its statement.

Many authors paid tribute to Rennison, including "Geek Girl" author Holly Smale, who called her "a wonderful, talented and funny writer."