[Source: BBC]
Author Barbara Taylor Bradford, known for best-selling novels including A Woman of Substance, has died at the age of 91.
Published in 1979, A Woman of Substance sold 30 million copies and spawned seven sequels and a TV adaptation, which is still the most-watched program in Channel 4’s history.
It was the first of 40 novels by Taylor Bradford; others include the Ravenscar, Cavendon and the House of Falconer series.
Charlie Redmayne, chief executive of publisher HarperCollins, said: “Barbara Taylor Bradford was a truly exceptional writer whose first book, the international bestseller A Woman of Substance, changed the lives of so many who read it – and still does to this day.”
She was “a natural storyteller” as well as “a great, great friend”, he added.
A Woman of Substance was the rags-to-riches tale of Emma Harte, a young woman who goes from being a maid to building and running a major department store.
The mini-series was watched by almost 14 million people on Channel 4 in 1985 and was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
A Woman of Substance was the rags-to-riches tale of Emma Harte, a young woman who goes from being a maid to building and running a major department store.
The mini-series was watched by almost 14 million people on Channel 4 in 1985 and was nominated for two Emmy Awards.
Emma was played by Jenny Seagrove, who paid tribute to the author as a “dear friend”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World at One, Seagrove recalled being a young and nervous actress when she first met Taylor Bradford.
She added that the book was semi-autobiographical and “you could feel the truth in it”.
