It was Graham Greene, quite by chance, who propelled Barbara Taylor Bradford, who recently passed away at the age of 91, onto a path that ultimately culminated in her induction into the prestigious Writers Hall of Fame of America in 2003, alongside literary giants like Mark Twain, Robert Frost, and Ernest Hemingway. In an article, Greene had elucidated that character is the essence of plot – and in a flash of insight, Bradford grasped the true essence of fiction.
It was the mid-1970s, a time when Bradford, affectionately known as BTB, had already carved a niche as a successful journalist, with her columns appearing in numerous syndicates across the United States. However, as an author, she had only found success with books on decorating and design, having abandoned several attempts to pen a novel. She admitted, "If I hated them, then the reader would hate them too."
Greene's comment served as an epiphany for Bradford. "Suddenly, I comprehended the core of writing fiction: it's about who you are and who your protagonist is. If they're weak and timid, they won't get far. But if they're driven, ambitious, and resilient, unstoppable by any obstacle, then obviously, they'll embody all the strong women I admire, like Marie Curie, Catherine the Great, and Elizabeth I."
This, if you will indulge me, was the heart of the woman, and from it emerged Emma Harte, the protagonist of Bradford's debut novel, "A Woman of Substance," published in 1979. Based solely on a few pages, the novel was sold for $25,000 and became an overnight sensation, ultimately selling 32 million copies and remaining on the New York Times bestseller lists for 43 weeks. The story of a pregnant 16-year-old kitchen maid, forced to leave her job and forge her own path in the world, evolves into a tale of a wealthy matriarch presiding over her global empire from the luxurious confines of a private jet. The TV miniseries that followed in 1985, starring Jenny Seagrove and Liam Neeson, became a global hit, captivating nearly 14 million viewers in the UK.
Almost instantaneously upon the book's release, Bradford's mailbox filled with eager inquiries from fans, dying to know what adventures awaited Emma next. Spanning several years, seven additional novels meticulously documented the rollercoaster ride of the Harte dynasty, including Hold the Dream (1985), To Be the Best (1988), and Emma’s Secret (2004) – a masterpiece that breathed new life into the Harte saga through a trove of previously undisclosed diaries, chronicling the years lost amidst the London blitz. This literary odyssey culminated with three more titles, followed by a prequel, A Man of Honour, in 2021.
Bradford, a proud Yorkshire native, remained deeply rooted in her birthplace. Though her accent might have navigated uncharted waters of the Atlantic, and her appearance – donning power suits adorned with jewelry, her face bronzed beneath a cascade of blonde hair – bore more resemblance to her adopted city of New York than her hometown of Leeds, an intrinsic British essence lingered within her. Even as she pressed the buzzer for afternoon tea during our interview in her Upper East Side penthouse in 1995, this quintessential Britishness was palpable.
She held Margaret Thatcher in high esteem, admiring her "unwavering resolve and unerring sense of self." More recently, she expressed disheartenment at Tory leaders who seemed bent on "tearing the fabric of the country apart." She lamented the spread of America's "ugly and confrontational politics" across the pond, noting, "There are no statesmen today of the caliber of Churchill, who inspired hope, dignity, and courage in the British people."
Barbara, the only daughter of Freda and Winston Taylor, was born in Armley, Leeds. Her father, an engineer who lost a leg in World War I, and her mother, who spent part of her childhood in Ripon's workhouse but, like the resilient women populating her daughter's stories, rose above her circumstances to become a children's nurse and nanny, shaped her early life.
Freda, an avid reader, nurtured this passion in her daughter, who, by adolescence, had devoured the works of Dickens and the Brontë sisters, "admittedly not always comprehending every nuance." At seven, Barbara was already scribbling her first tales, and at twelve, she sold her maiden short story for a tidy sum of 10 shillings and sixpence – a fortune for a little girl at that time. With characteristic detail that would later define her novels, she recounted, "I bought my mother a lovely green vase and some handkerchiefs from the local haberdashery for my father."
Despite her parents' disappointment that she opted for "the best university in the world – a newspaper office" over higher education, Barbara began her career at the Yorkshire Evening Post just before turning 16, where she rubbed shoulders with fellow journalist Peter O'Toole. Starting as a typist, she swiftly ascended to the role of a cub reporter, adopting a tattered trenchcoat she deemed vital for the part, much to her mother's chagrin.
She confided her novelist aspirations to the editor, who advised, "Everybody's got a story, Barbara. Just go out one day, tap someone on the arm, and ask them to share their life story – your novel awaits!"
Yet, she temporarily shelved her grand aspirations, reveling in the vibrant life of a journalist and the diverse avenues it presented. It was Keith Waterhouse, whose desk adjoined hers, who imparted to her the invaluable lesson of the "who, what, where, when, how" rule, which remains the cornerstone of her novel-writing to this day. At the tender age of 18, she ascended to the position of women's editor, and by 20, she ventured to London to don the mantle of fashion editor at Woman's Own and later, a columnist at the Evening News.
During a serendipitous blind date arranged by mutual acquaintances in London, she encountered the man destined to be both her husband and business partner—Robert Bradford, a Berlin-born, Swiss-educated American film producer whose charisma was undeniable. "If it wasn't an instantaneous spark of love, it was undeniably a potent attraction," she reminisced, four decades into their shared journey.
In 1963, they tied the knot, and the subsequent year, as the Beatles made their historic landing at JFK, propelling British culture into the American limelight, they embarked on a new chapter in New York, each pursuing their individual careers with fervor. Alongside her journalism endeavors, in the 1960s and 1970s, Bradford authored several nonfiction volumes (including Etiquette to Please Him, part of the How to Be a Perfect Wife series in 1969), collections of Bible tales for children, and a range of interior design tomes.
By the 1980s, with Barbara Taylor Bradford's name etched in international fame, Robert took charge of managing his wife's career, producing TV series and films adapted from her numerous books. "I jestingly refer to him as the General, and he affectionately calls me Napoleon," she chuckled, adding that the formula for their success—besides their abiding love and shared passions—was maintaining separate offices and televisions. She cherished him as her "most invaluable treasure."
When Bradford finally presented A Woman of Substance to her US publisher after two years of arduous labor, the manuscript stood towering like a small child. Since then, over 40 other titles have followed, including the Emma Harte Saga and the Cavendon Chronicles quartet, amassing sales of 90 million copies in 40 languages across 90 countries. Ten of her books have been adapted into feature films or TV mini-series. Her latest novel, The Wonder of It All, saw the light of day in 2023.
Arguably, A Woman of Substance ushered in a novel genre, the saga-as-blockbuster. Today, its pages, along with all of Bradford's other manuscripts, reside in the Brotherton Library at Leeds University, nestled between the works of other illustrious Yorkshire literary giants, Alan Bennett (her childhood nursery schoolmate) and the Brontë sisters.
In 2007, she was honored with an OBE, and in 2016, she was named among 90 Great Britons (alongside Ray Davies, Barbara Windsor, and Mary Berry) in a portrait commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday. "I am a writer; it defines me," she once declared, expressing a heartfelt desire to "expire at my desk." "I adhere to a puritan work ethic—I fear God's wrath if I am idle," she added. Moreover, "novelists create order from the chaos of life."
She was preceded in death by Robert, who passed away in 2019.
