Barbara Taylor Bradford facts for kids

Barbara Taylor Bradford (born May 10, 1933 – died November 24, 2024) was a very popular British-American writer. She wrote many books that became bestsellers, meaning they sold millions of copies. Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979. It sold over 30 million copies around the world! She wrote 40 novels in total, and every single one was a bestseller in both England and the United States.

Early Life

Barbara Taylor was born in Leeds, England. Her parents were Freda and Winston Taylor. Her father was an engineer who had lost a leg while serving in the First World War.

As a child, Barbara went to Christ Church Upper Armley CofE Primary School. She even went to school with another famous writer, Alan Bennett. During the Second World War, when she was a child, she held a "jumble sale" at her school. A jumble sale is like a yard sale where people sell old items to raise money. She raised £2 and gave it to a fund called "Aid to Russia." Later, she received a special thank-you letter from Clementine Churchill, who was the wife of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Barbara's older brother, Vivian, sadly died before she was born. She once said that her mother put "all her frustrated love" into her. Her parents' marriage even inspired parts of her 1986 novel, An Act of Will.

When she was young, Barbara loved to read books by famous authors like Charles Dickens and the Brontë sisters. At just ten years old, she decided she wanted to be a writer. She sent a story to a magazine and was paid a small amount of money for it. With that money, she bought handkerchiefs and a green vase for her parents.

Becoming a Writer

Barbara left school when she was 15. She started working for a newspaper, first in the typing pool, then as a reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post.

When she was 20, Barbara moved to London. There, she became the fashion editor for Woman's Own magazine. She also wrote a column about interior decoration that appeared in 183 different newspapers!

At first, Barbara tried writing suspense novels, but she later stopped. She realized that she really wanted to write a big novel. She thought, "What if I get to 55, and I've never written a novel? I'm going to hate myself." This thought pushed her to write her first major book.

Her first novel, A Woman of Substance, became incredibly popular. It is considered one of the top-ten best-selling novels of all time. After that, she wrote 39 more novels, and they all became bestsellers in the UK and the US.

Barbara Taylor Bradford looked up to an Irish historian named Cornelius Ryan. He encouraged her writing and was one of the first people she told about her dream to write novels. She also enjoyed reading books by authors like P. D. James and Bernard Cornwell. Her last novel, The Wonder Of It All, was published in 2023.

In an interview, Barbara said, "I’m not going to go down in history as a great literary figure. I’m a commercial writer — a storyteller." She explained that she often wrote about "strong women" who achieve amazing things.

What Her Stories Were About

Many of Barbara Taylor Bradford's novels featured a young woman who started from a simple background. These women would work very hard and make big sacrifices to become successful in business. Barbara often said, "I write about mostly ordinary women who go on to achieve the extraordinary."

Books Made into TV Shows

Ten of Barbara Taylor Bradford's books were turned into television mini-series or TV movies. Her husband, Robert E. Bradford, produced these adaptations. Some of the popular TV adaptations include:

• A Woman of Substance
• Hold The Dream
• To Be The Best
• Act of Will
• Voice of the Heart

Personal Life

Barbara Taylor met her husband, Robert E. Bradford, in 1961 on a blind date. He was an American film producer. They got married on Christmas Eve in 1963 and moved to the United States. Barbara became an American citizen in 1992.

Barbara Taylor Bradford received special honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Leeds. She was also given an award called Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. This award recognized her important contributions to literature. Her original handwritten stories and notes are kept at the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds, alongside those of the Brontë sisters. In 2017, she was named one of ninety "Great Britons" to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday.

In 1990, Barbara was featured on a British TV show called This Is Your Life. She was surprised by the show's host at Heathrow Airport.

Her husband, Robert, passed away in 2019. Barbara Taylor Bradford lived in Manhattan, New York City. She died at home on November 24, 2024, at the age of 91, after a short illness.

Selected Works

Fiction

The Emma Harte Saga

• A Woman of Substance (1979)
• Hold the Dream (1985)
• To Be the Best (1988)
• Emma's Secret (2003)
• Unexpected Blessings (2005)
• Just Rewards (2005)
• Breaking the Rules (2009)
• A Man of Honour (2021)

The Ravenscar Trilogy

• The Ravenscar Dynasty (2006)
• Heirs of Ravenscar (2007) (published as The Heir in the U.S.)
• Being Elizabeth (2008)

The Cavendon Chronicles

• Cavendon Hall (2014)
• The Cavendon Women (2015)
• The Cavendon Luck (2016)
• Secrets of Cavendon (2017)

The House of Falconer

• Master of His Fate (2018)
• In the Lion's Den (2020)
• The Wonder Of It All (2023)

Other fiction

• Act of Will (1986)
• The Women in His Life (1990)
• Remember (1991)
• Angel (1993)
• Voice of the Heart (1983)
• Everything to Gain (1994)
• Dangerous to Know (1995)
• Love in Another Town (1995)
• Her Own Rules (1996)
• A Secret Affair (1996)
• Power of a Woman (1997)
• A Sudden Change of Heart (1999)
• Where You Belong (2000)
• The Triumph of Katie Byrne (2001) (NL, De wereld aan haar voeten)
• Three Weeks in Paris (2002)
• Playing the Game (2010) (NL, Liefdesspel)
• Letter From a Stranger (2011) (NL, De geheime brief)
• Secrets From the Past (2013)
• Hidden (2013) (published as an eBook)
• Treacherous (2014) (published as an eBook)
• Who Are You? (2016) (published as an eBook)
• Damaged (2018) (published as an eBook)

Non-fiction

• A Garland of Children's Verse (1960)
• The Dictionary of 1001 Famous People: Outstanding Personages in the World of Science, the Arts, Music and Literature (with Samuel Nisenson, 1966)
• Etiquette to Please Him (How to be the Perfect Wife series) (1969)
• Bradford's Living Romantically Every Day (2002)

Interior design

• The Complete Encyclopedia of Homemaking Ideas (1968)
• Easy Steps to Successful Decorating (Illustrated) (1971)
• How to Solve Your Decorating Problems (1976)
• Making Space Grow (1979)
• Luxury Designs for Apartment Living (1983)
• Children's Stories of Jesus from the New Testament (1966)
• Children's Stories of the Bible from the Old Testament (1966)
• Children's Stories of the Bible from the Old and New Testaments (1968)