Barbara Taylor Bradford, the bestselling author whose 1979 novel “A Woman of Substance” sold 30 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a successful Channel 4 miniseries, died on Sunday. She was 91.
Taylor Bradford’s death was confirmed to the Associated Press by a spokesperson, who said she died at her home in New York City. No cause of death was provided.
Born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England on May 10, 1933, Taylor Bradford began her career as a journalist before beginning to pen novels in her 40s, often revolving around young women making a name for themselves in business after overcoming obstacles. In total, she wrote 40 books, all of which became bestsellers in the United Kingdom and United States.
“A Woman of Substance” marked Taylor Bradford’s debut novel in 1979, and also her most successful. It sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a three-part Channel 4 miniseries in 1984 starring Jenny Seagrove, Deborah Kerr, Barry Bostwick and Liam Neeson. Spanning the 20th century, the story follows Emma Harte, who goes from a teenage servant in Yorkshire to a retail magnate and is faced with deciding who should carry on her legacy. Airing over three nights, the final part of the series scored 13.8 million viewers for Channel 4, which remains its highest ever audience. It also aired in the U.S. and was nominated at the 1985 Emmys for outstanding limited series and supporting actress for Kerr.
The original book became the eight-part Emma Harte saga, with sequels including “Hold the Dream” (1985) and “To Be the Best” (1988), both of which were also adapted for television. Taylor Bradford went on to pen other book series like the Ravenscar Trilogy (2006-2008), the Cavendon Chronicles (2014-2017) and the House of Falconer (2018-2023). She also wrote a dozen non-fiction works, including on etiquette, homemaking and children’s books about Christianity.
She married film producer Robert E. Bradford in 1963, who would eventually produce the screen adaptations of her novels, and the two moved to the United States. Taylor Bradford became a U.S. citizen in 1992. In 2007, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
Taylor Bradford was preceded in death by her husband, who died in 2019.
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