'A Woman of Substance' author Barbara Taylor Bradford dies at 91
Author Barbara Taylor Bradford, most known for her debut novel, "A Woman of Substance," has died at the age of 91, representatives for the writer confirmed to ABC News.
"With the deepest and heartfelt sadness, it is confirmed that international bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE has died," Bradford's representatives said in a statement, adding that Taylor Bradford died at home on Nov. 24 "surrounded by loved ones" after "a short illness."
Taylor Bradford was born May 10, 1933 in Leeds, England, and became a newspaper reporter, editor and columnist before becoming a prolific author. Her first novel, "A Woman of Substance," was published in 1979 and became a bestseller that remained on the New York Times' paperback bestseller list for 43 weeks.
In 1963, Taylor Bradford married film and TV producer Robert Bradford and the couple lived in New York from 1964 onward until Bradford's death at 94 following a stroke in July 2019. Bradford also produced the 1985 drama series "A Woman of Substance," starring Jenny Seagrove, Barry Bostwick, Deborah Kerr and Liam Neeson, after his wife's novel.
During her career, Taylor Bradford published 40 novels, which all became worldwide bestsellers. Ten of Taylor Bradford's works were adapted for TV or into films and her last book, "The Wonder Of It All," was published by St. Martin's Press in the U.S. in December 2023.
Jennifer Enderlin, the president and publisher of Taylor Bradford's U.S. publisher, St. Martin's Press, said in a statement, "I have worked with Barbara Taylor Bradford as her U.S. publisher and Editor for almost 25 years. She was a legend in so many ways, but chief among them was her utmost professionalism and dedication to her craft."
"She never missed a deadline and if she said she was going to deliver her book on a Thursday, that's when it would arrive," Enderlin continued, adding that Taylor Bradford had a penchant for enjoying "a glass or two of champagne" to boost creativity before she embarked on a new writing journey.
"She truly loved writing and creating her unforgettable worlds - whether that world was Yorkshire at the turn of the 20th century, or the glamorous watering holes of London in the present day," Enderlin added. "Barbara's novels would always transport you. She was the definition of A Woman of Substance."
Taylor Bradford received an OBE or The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire honor for services to literature in 2007 from Queen Elizabeth II.
A private funeral for Taylor Bradford will be held at Saint Thomas Church in New York City, and she will be laid to rest alongside her late husband, Robert Bradford, at Westchester Hills Cemetery in New York.
