Best-selling British-American author Barbara Taylor Bradford, whose debut novel “A Woman of Substance” brought her overnight success, has died at the age of 91, a spokeswoman said on Monday.
Taylor Bradford, who wrote 40 novels and sold 91 million books worldwide during her career, died peacefully at her home on Sunday after a short illness.
“She remained surrounded by her loved ones to the end,” the spokeswoman said, adding that a private funeral would be held in New York.
“A Woman of Substance” tells the story of servant Emma Harte, who rises from humble beginnings to head a business empire in Taylor Bradford’s native Yorkshire in northern England, and undergoes personal tragedy along the way.
Many of his later novels were also based in Yorkshire and dealt with the same theme of great success despite the odds, driven by patience and hard work.
His most recent novel, “The Wonder of It All,” was published last year.
Born in May 1933 in Leeds, northern England, Taylor Bradford began her working life as a typist for her local newspaper, The Yorkshire Evening Post, before becoming a reporter.
She moved to London at the age of 20 where she continued working as a journalist while branching out into the world of fiction.
She started and abandoned several novels before striking gold with “A Woman of Substance,” which was an instant success when it was published in 1979.
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The novel was adapted into a double Emmy-nominated miniseries in 1985 and starred Liam Neeson opposite British actress Jenny Seagrove as Emma Harte.
Seagrove paid tribute to a “dear friend” and “powerhouse of glamor and warmth”.
He added, “Success never diminished her warmth and humor or her ability to get on with everyone she met, whether she was a cleaner or a princess. She never forgot that she was a Yorkshire girl who worked hard and got something good.” Did.”
Charlie Redmayne, chief executive of publisher HarperCollins, described Taylor Bradford as “a truly extraordinary writer”.
He said, “‘A Woman of Substance’ changed the lives of many who read it and continues to do so today.”
He said, “She was a natural storyteller, deeply proud of her Yorkshire roots. For 45 years, she was a huge part of our company and a great, great friend – we will miss her dearly.”
Taylor Bradford had lived in the United States since 1964, following her marriage to American film producer Robert Bradford the previous year.
The couple were married for 55 years until his death in 2019.
Taylor Bradford’s spokeswoman said she will be buried with her late husband in New York’s Westchester Hills Cemetery.
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