Barbara Taylor Bradford, the best-selling author of A Woman of Substance and many other books, passed away at ninety-one. Renowned for her innovative tales of strong women overcoming challenges and succeeding, Bradford’s writings enthralled millions of readers. They had a long-lasting influence on television and literature.
In what way did A Woman of Substance shape her legacy?
Published in 1979, A Woman of Substance went global and sold around thirty million copies. The book tracked Emma Harte’s rags-to-riches path—a young lady rising from modest beginnings as a maid to open and run a big department store. Bradford gained great praise and an enduring history in the literary scene as this legendary story of ambition, tenacity and will come to represent. The book generated seven follow-up books and was turned into a very popular TV mini-series in 1985, still ranking as the most-watched program in Channel 4’s history.
“Dominating the bestseller lists, she broke new ground with her sweeping epic novels spanning generations, novels which were fiercely not romances, and she epitomized the woman of substance she created, particularly with her ruthless work ethic,” said Lynne Drew, her publisher and editor. “She was perennially curious, interested in everyone and extraordinarily motivated, an inspiration for millions of readers and countless writers,” Drew said.
What effect did Bradford have on fiction for women?
Bradford created a place for stories in which women were strong, aspirational, and independent at a time when many books concentrated on idealized images of women. Her writings, which included the Cavendon series and the Ravenscar trilogy, concentrated on generations of women who broke social norms to create professions and legacies.
HarperCollins CEO Charlie Redmayne said Bradford was “an exceptional writer” whose first book transformed the lives of many readers. “Her first book, A Woman of Substance, still influences the lives of many people who have read it today. She was a terrific companion as well as a fantastic storyteller.
Her presentation of formidable female heroes was ahead of its time. “When I wrote A Woman of Substance I didn’t sit down and think, I’m going to write about a woman warrior who conquests the world and smashes the glass ceiling, but I wanted to write about women in a positive way,” Bradford said in an interview. “At the time, there were a lot of quite sexy books out there but the women didn’t come out of them very well.”
How can she improve her work with the TV adaptations?
Starring Jenny Seagrove as Emma Harte, A Woman of Substance was turned into a TV mini-series in 1985. The show was nominated for two Emmy Awards and attracted about 14 million people, marking a cultural event. Seagrove, who grew good friends with Bradford over the years, remembered their initial meeting with great feeling. “I saw Barbara at a screening [of A Woman of Substance], and she simply rushed up to me, hugged me, and said, “Oh, you are my Emma.” All I needed was that. I shed tears right away.
Said to be semi-autobiographical, the actress said, “You could feel the truth in it.” Seagrove considered A Woman of Substance a significant influence on women, many of whom wrote to her claiming the book had motivated them to launch companies or take charge of their lives. “We would go on publicity tours… and women would come up to me randomly… and say ‘You changed my life’ because Emma Harte had changed their life in some form,” she said.
Which early influences shaped her writing career?
Taylor Bradford was born in Leeds, England, and her mother “force-fed me books,” so she was exposed to reading early on. She shared the same elementary school classroom with playwright Alan Bennett. Her literary career started early when her first tale appeared in a children’s magazine at ten. She started working as a typist and copywriter at the Yorkshire Evening Press after leaving school at 15. She picked up the craft of journalism here, slinking her pieces into the tray of the sub-editor, which resulted in her promotion as the only female reporter of the paper at the time.
As a journalist, she first penned an internal decorating section for 183 syndicated newspapers. Her initial works, The Complete Encyclopedia of Homemaking Ideas in 1968, and her several contributions to the How to Be the Perfect Wife series were on home design.
How did Bradford move from journalism to fiction?
When Bradford penned A Woman of Substance in her mid-40s, she first dipped into fiction. Though it deviated from her past work, it became an instant smash since it broke new ground by depicting women as powerful, aspirational, and capable of realizing greatness in a male-dominated society.
Apart from the Ravenscar trilogy and the Cavendon series, Bradford wrote a few stand-alone books, including A Sudden Change of Heart, The Women in His Life, and A Secret Affair. Published in 2023, her most current piece is The Wonder of it All.
How did Bradford advocate for women and literacy?
Jenny Seagrove also remembered Taylor Bradford’s advocacy and kindness, noting, “She championed women before it was fashionable, and that’s a great legacy.” Seagrove recalls how Bradford attended her 90th birthday celebration in the U.S., where she was “piped in by a bagpiper” and remained as “curious, kind, and always sharing” as ever despite her illness.
Apart from her writing profession, Taylor Bradford supported raising literacy rates. She was an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust and was granted an OBE for services to literature by Queen Elizabeth in 2007. The organization honored her for her lifetime commitment to helping underprivileged areas have better reading rates.
How did Barbara Taylor Bradford's life come to an end?
Following a brief illness surrounded by loved ones, Barbara Taylor Bradford passed away quietly at her house on November 24, 2024. She will be buried next to her late 2019 passing Hollywood producer Robert Bradford.
Bradford’s books transformed the scene of women’s fiction over her remarkable life, and her impact as a writer, advocate, and inspiration to the next generations of readers will last.
