Barbara Taylor Bradford, Author of Best-Seller ‘A Woman of Substance,’ Dies at 91

Barbara Taylor Bradford attends the Literacy Partners Gala in New York City on March 14, 2018. Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Barbara Taylor Bradford, known for her international best-selling novels, including “A Woman of Substance,” has died at 91.

The British-American author died peacefully in her home on Sunday following an illness and was with her loved ones “until the very end,” an obituary published on her website reads. A private funeral will be held in New York for Bradford, who will be buried alongside her husband, Robert Bradford, who died in 2019.

“Working with a storyteller as remarkable as Barbara for over 20 years was a huge privilege but also a huge amount of fun,” Lynne Drew, Bradford’s publisher and editor at HarperCollins said in the obituary. “Dominating the best-seller lists, she broke new ground with her sweeping epic novels spanning generations, novels which were resolutely not romances, and she epitomized the woman of substance she created, particularly with her ruthless work ethic. She was an inspiration for millions of readers and countless writers.

“I’m so proud to have been her publisher for over 20 years—working with her has been one of the great thrills of my career, and I and everyone at HarperCollins will miss her greatly.”

Bradford gained international success with her debut novel, “A Woman of Substance,” about a Yorkshire woman who attains wealth and power. The story was adapted into a two-time Emmy-nominated miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove. Bradford became a literary legend, writing 40 fiction novels, many of which were international bestsellers.

“She never changed,” Seagrove said of Bradford. “Success never diluted her warmth and humor or her ability to relate to everyone she met, whether a cleaner or a princess. She never, ever forgot that she was just a girl from Yorkshire who worked hard and made good. R.I.P., dear friend.”

Legacy

Born Barbara Taylor in Leeds, England, in 1933, she left school at 15 to take a typing job at the Yorkshire Evening Post. She was promoted to a reporter before becoming an editor at the publication at 18.

At 20, she moved to London and became a fashion editor for Woman’s Own magazine and a columnist for The Evening News, Today Magazine, and other publications.

In 1961, she met Hollywood producer Robert Bradford, whom she married in London on Christmas Eve, 1963. The following year, the couple moved to New York and lived together for 55 years until Robert’s death.

Starting with children’s stories and advice books, including “How to Be a Perfect Wife,” Bradford’s dream was to be a novelist. In 1979, she made that dream come true when she released “A Woman of Substance,” a novel chronicling the eventful life of Emma Harte—from servant to retail magnate. The novel eventually became the first of a seven-book saga, ending with 2009’s “Breaking the Rules.”

“You have to write about what you know. I suppose I’m a strong woman myself,” Bradford told the New York Times in 1979. “I’m not going to go down in history as a great literary figure. I’m a commercial writer—a storyteller. I suppose I will always write about strong women. I don’t mean hard women, though. [I] mean women of substance.”

Described as “Queen of the Genre,” Bradford went on to write several novels, including “Act of Will” and “A Secret Affair.” More than 90 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide, published in over 40 languages and 90 countries, according to her website. Her last published piece was 2023’s “The Wonder of it All.”

Bradford received many accolades throughout her career, including five Honorary Doctorates of Letters, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire appointment by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, and a position on the United States Board of Literacy Partners.

When asked what would be on her epitaph, the author replied, “She made her dreams come true.”

Bradford has no immediate survivors.