Barbara Taylor Bradford

Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE (born May 10, 1933) is an English novelist. Her 1979 debut, "A Woman of Substance", ranks as one of the top-ten bestselling novels in history, with more than 30 million copies in print.Fact|date=September 2008 She is also the first author in publishing history to record 23 consecutive bestselling novels in both the US and the UK.

Biography

Early years

Bradford was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire as the only child of Freda and Winston Taylor. She grew up in the Leeds suburb of Armley and after Town Street Church of England School and Northcote School for Girls she worked in the typing pool at the Yorkshire Evening Post before going into journalism. By the age of twenty she was the fashion editor of Woman's Own Magazine and an editor and columnist on Fleet Street for the London Evening News. Her first novel, "A Woman of Substance", became an enduring bestseller and was followed by 22 others - all bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Writing career

Bradford's books have sold more than eighty (80) million copies worldwide in more than ninety (90) countries and forty (40) languages. Ten (10) of her books have been made into miniseries and television movies, making her the No. 1 best-selling author of women's fiction over the last 30 years.

Currently, one of the richest living authors, Bradford's personal wealth has exceeded £145 million, making her one of the wealthiest women in the UK.

Personal life

She lives in New York City with television producer Robert Bradford, her husband since 1963.

It has been reported that she is working on creating a new soap opera for the U.S. market with longtime soap writer Millee Taggart.

In 1999, Bradford became the first living female author to be featured on a postage stamp, when she was honored on legal tender by the nations of St. Vincent and Grenada. In 2002, she was again recognized with a postage stamp by the British Isle of Man. In April 2003, Mrs. Bradford was inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America. She was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for her contributions to literature.

Mrs. Bradford is a member of the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. She is heavily involved in a variety of charity projects around the world including: The Police Athletic League (PAL); PACT (Parents & Abducted Children Together) US and UK Chapters; and The New York Pops Orchestra.

DVD

Five of her works are to be re-released in the UK in September 2008. These are A Woman of Substance; Hold The Dream; To Be The Best; Act of Will and Voice of the Heart.

Novels by Barbara Taylor Bradford

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)

The Deravenel Trilogy

* The Ravenscar Dynasty (2006)
* Heirs Of Ravenscar (UK) (2007) (The Heir in North America)
* Being Elizabeth (2008)

Others

* Voice of the Heart (1983)
* Act of Will (1986)
* The Woman in His Life (1990)
* Remember (1991)
* Angel (1993)
* 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) (Kelly England - the writer, was the cover model for Where You Belong, shot in London. http://www.kellyengland.com/ http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/barbara-taylor-bradford/where-you-belong.htm)
* The Triumph of Katie Byrne (2001)
* Three Weeks in Paris (February 2002)

External links

* [http://www.barbarataylorbradford.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.iblist.com/author9643.htm Barbara Taylor Bradford] at the Internet Book List [http://www.iblist.com]