Bestselling author of ‘A Woman of Substance’ dies

Barbara Taylor Bradford, the international bestselling author known for penning “A Woman of Substance,” has died, her publishing house announced Monday. She was 91.

Bradford died “peacefully” while surrounded by loved ones at her home on Sunday following a short illness, according to a Facebook post from HarperCollins UK. She will be laud to rest alongside her late husband, Robert Bradford, at Westchester Hills Cemetery in New York.

Bradford, a native of Leeds, England, wrote 40 novels during her 45 years with HarperCollins UK, including her debut bestselling novel “A Woman of Substance” in 1979. The novel, which which tells the rags-to-riches story of Emma Harte as she builds a retail empire, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and was the first of a seven-book saga. It was also adapted into a three-episode miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove as a young Emma Harte and Deborah Kerr as adult Emma.

All 40 of Bradford’s novels became worldwide bestsellers, totaling more than 91 million copies sold while being published in more than 40 languages in 90 countries, according to HarperCollins UK. Her most recent novel, “The Wonder of It All,” was published in the UK by HarperCollins in November 2023 and in the U.S. by St. Martin’s Press in December 2023.

A digital tribute book was created for family, friends and readers to pay tribute to Bradford.

“Barbara Taylor Bradford was a truly exceptional writer whose first book, the international bestseller A Woman of Substance changed the lives of so many who read it – and still does to this day,” HarperCollins UK CEO Charlie Redmayne said. “For 45 years, she was a huge part of our company and a great, great friend – we will miss her so much – but there is some solace in the knowledge that she is now, once again, alongside her beloved Bob.”