Bestselling Author Barbara Taylor Bradford Dies at 91

Translate In Arabic

London/New York: Barbara Taylor Bradford, the bestselling British-American author whose debut novel A Woman of Substance became an overnight success and sold over 30 million copies, has passed away at the age of 91. The renowned writer died peacefully at her home on Sunday following a short illness, surrounded by loved ones. A private funeral will be held in New York. Taylor Bradford, who authored 40 novels and sold over 91 million copies worldwide, became a literary icon after the publication of A Woman of Substance in 1979. The novel, which follows the life of Emma Harte, a servant who rises to lead a business empire, became a global bestseller and was adapted into a double Emmy-nominated miniseries in 1985. Many of her subsequent works featured similar rags-to-riches stories, drawing inspiration from her own humble beginnings in Yorkshire.

Born in Leeds in 1933, Taylor Bradford began her career as a typist at The Yorkshire Evening Post and later worked as a reporter before turning to fiction. Her breakthrough novel spent 45 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She was honored in 2007 by Queen Elizabeth II with an OBE for her contributions to literature. Known for her strength and resilience, Taylor Bradford’s works resonated with readers around the world, and she leaves behind a lasting literary legacy. She is survived by her family and will be buried next to her late husband, film producer Robert Bradford, at Westchester Hills Cemetery in New York.