Barbara Taylor Bradford, the British-American author whose debut novel A Woman of Substance became a global bestseller and sold over 30 million copies, has passed away at the age of 91.
Her death was confirmed by a spokeswoman, who announced that the writer died peacefully at her home on Sunday, following a short illness. She was surrounded by loved ones in her final moments, and a private funeral will be held in New York.
Bradford’s A Woman of Substance, published in 1979, tells the rags-to-riches story of Emma Harte, a servant who rises to build a business empire. The novel became a massive success, staying on the New York Times bestseller list for 45 weeks, and was adapted into an Emmy-nominated miniseries in 1985, starring Liam Neeson and Jenny Seagrove. This success was just the beginning of her remarkable literary career, which spanned over 40 novels and saw her sell more than 91 million copies worldwide.
Born in Leeds, England, in May 1933, Bradford began her career as a typist for The Yorkshire Evening Post before moving to London to work as a journalist. She eventually transitioned to fiction, initially struggling with several unpublished manuscripts until the success of A Woman of Substance. Many of her subsequent novels followed similar themes of perseverance and success, often set in Yorkshire, her homeland.
Bradford’s impact on readers and the literary world was profound. Charlie Redmayne, CEO of HarperCollins, praised her as a “truly exceptional writer” whose A Woman of Substance continues to change lives. The novel’s universal appeal, particularly its strong, determined female protagonist, reflected Bradford’s own strength and resilience, qualities she often spoke of in interviews. Seagrove, who portrayed Emma Harte in the miniseries, remembered her as a “dear friend” and a “powerhouse of glamour and warmth.”
Bradford was honored by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 with an OBE for her contributions to literature. She had lived in the U.S. since 1964 after marrying American film producer Robert Bradford, who passed away in 2019. The author will be buried alongside him at Westchester Hills Cemetery, New York.
