Barbara Taylor Bradford, the Leeds-born author who captivated millions with her iconic novel A Woman of Substance, has passed away at the age of 91. A spokeswoman confirmed that Taylor Bradford died peacefully at her home on Sunday, surrounded by loved ones, following a short illness.
Taylor Bradford’s debut novel, A Woman of Substance, published in 1979, catapulted her to fame with its gripping rags-to-riches tale of Emma Harte, a servant-turned-business mogul. The book sold millions of copies worldwide and established Taylor Bradford as “the grand dame of blockbusters.” Her works have since been published in over 40 languages and 90 countries, selling more than 90 million copies globally.
Charlie Redmayne, chief executive of HarperCollins, paid tribute to her storytelling prowess, stating, “Barbara Taylor Bradford was a truly exceptional writer whose first book… changed the lives of so many who read it—and still does to this day.”
Born in May 1933, Barbara Taylor was the only child of Winston and Freda Taylor. She began her career as a typist at the Yorkshire Evening Post before becoming its first woman’s editor. She later moved to London, working on Fleet Street for Woman’s Own and the London Evening News.
In 1961, she met her husband, American film producer Robert Bradford, and they married in 1963. The couple moved to New York in 1964 and shared 55 years of marriage until Robert’s passing in 2019.
Taylor Bradford was appointed an OBE in 2007 for her services to literature. Over her illustrious career, she wrote 40 novels, the latest of which, The Wonder of It All, was published last year.
She will be laid to rest in New York’s Westchester Hills Cemetery alongside her beloved husband following a private funeral.u
