Jilly Cooper
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Dame Jilly Cooper, (born Jill Sallitt; 21 February 1937) is an English author. She began her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several
romance novel A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and Romance (love), romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed ...
s, the first of which appeared in 1975. Cooper is most famous for writing the '' Rutshire Chronicles''.


Early life

Jill Sallitt was born in Hornchurch, Essex, England on 21 February 1937, to Mary Elaine (née Whincup) and
Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
W. B. Sallitt, OBE. She grew up in Ilkley and
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, and was educated at the Moorfield School in Ilkley and Godolphin School in
Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
.


Journalism and non-fiction

After unsuccessfully trying to begin a career in the British national press, Cooper became a junior reporter for ''The Middlesex Independent'', based in
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
. She worked for the paper from 1957 to 1959. Subsequently, she worked as an account executive,
copywriter Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. Copywriting is aimed at selling products or services. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to incre ...
, publisher's reader and
receptionist A receptionist is an Employment, employee taking an office or Business administration, administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting room, waiting area such as a Lobby (room), lobby or front office desk of an organ ...
. Her break came with a chance meeting at a dinner party. The editor of '' The Sunday Times Magazine'', Godfrey Smith, asked her to write a feature about her experiences. This led to a column in which Cooper wrote about
marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
, sex and housework. That column ran from 1969 to 1982, when she moved to '' The Mail on Sunday'', where she worked for another five years. Cooper's first column led to the publication of her first book, '' How to Stay Married'', in 1969, and which was quickly followed by a guide to working life, ''How to Survive from Nine to Five'', in 1970. Some of her journalism was collected into a single volume, ''Jolly Super'', in 1971. The theme of class dominates much of her writing and her non-fiction (including ''
Class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...
'' itself), which is written from an explicitly upper-middle-class British perspective, with emphasis on the relationships between men and women, and matters of social class in contemporary Britain.


Fiction

As with her non-fiction works, Cooper draws heavily on her own point of view and experiences. For example, her own house is the model for Rupert Campbell-Black's. Both houses are very old, although his is larger; her house overlooks a valley called Toadsmoor, while his overlooks a valley called the Frogsmore. She also draws on her love of animals: dogs and horses feature heavily in her books. Woods, hills, fields, pastures and rivers feature frequently. Cooper has been called "the queen of the
bonkbuster ''Bonkbuster'' (a play on " blockbuster" and the verb " to bonk") is a term coined in 1989 by British writer Sue Limb to describe a subgenre of commercial romance novels in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as their subsequent miniseries adaptations. I ...
". Cooper has described the research she undertakes for each novel as "like studying for an A-level".


''Romance series''

In 1975, Cooper published her first work of romantic fiction, ''Emily''. It was based on a short story she wrote for a teenage magazine, as were the subsequent romances, all titled with female names: ''Bella'', ''Imogen'', ''Prudence'', ''Harriet'' and ''Octavia''. In October 1993, seven years after '' Private Eye'' had pointed out the similarities, Cooper admitted that sections of ''Emily'' and ''Bella'' were plagiarised from '' The Dud Avocado'' by Elaine Dundy, but said that it was not deliberate. ''Octavia'' is one of Cooper's "name" books, which each bear a female character's name, and has been made into a television movie. It is set in Britain during the 1970s. The broadcast ITV adaptation was produced with a screenplay which was written by Jonathan Harvey.


''Riders'' and the ''Rutshire Chronicles''

Cooper's best-known works are her Rutshire novels. The first was '' Riders'' (1985), an international bestseller, and the first volume of '' Rutshire Chronicles''. The first version of ''Riders'' was written by 1970, but shortly after Cooper had finished it, she took it with her into the West End of London and left the manuscript on a bus. The London ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' put out an appeal, but it was never found. She was, she says, "devastated", and it took her more than a decade to start it again. ''Riders'' and the following books, including ''
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
'', '' Polo'', '' The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous'' and '' Appassionata'', feature intricate plots, multiple story lines and a large number of characters. The books are linked by recurring characters and sometimes overlap each other. The stories heavily feature sexual
infidelity Infidelity (synonyms include non-consensual non-monogamy, cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, se ...
and general betrayal,
melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
tic misunderstandings and emotions, money worries and domestic upheavals. Each book of the ''Rutshire Chronicles'' is set in a glamorous and wealthy milieu, such as show jumping or
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
. These aspects are contrasted with details of the characters' domestic lives, which are often far from glamorous. The novel '' Jump!'' was released in 2010. It features characters from the ''Rutshire Chronicles'' in the world of National Hunt steeplechase racing, and tells the transformation of a mutilated horse (Mrs Wilkinson) into a successful racehorse. After publication, it was revealed that Cooper had named a goat in the book (Chisolm) in order to hit back at the critic Anne Chisholm.


Children's books

Cooper also wrote a series of children's books featuring the heroine Little Mabel.


Personal life

In 1961, she married Leo Cooper, a publisher of
military history Military history is the study of War, armed conflict in the Human history, history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to Politics, local and international relationship ...
books. The couple had known each other since 1951 (when Jilly Sallitt was about fourteen), although they did not marry until she was 24 and he was 27. The couple adopted two children. They have five grandchildren. The Coopers' marriage was greatly disrupted in 1990 when publisher Sarah Johnson revealed she and Leo had had an affair for several years, though Jilly and Leo eventually reunited. In 1982 the couple left Putney, southwest London, for The Chantry, an old manor house in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
. Jilly Cooper was a passenger in one of the derailed carriages in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash of 1999, in which 31 people died, and crawled through a window to escape. She later spoke of feeling that her "number was up" and of being absurdly concerned, due to shock, about a
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
she had been carrying. Leo Cooper was diagnosed with
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
in 2002. He died on 29 November 2013, at the age of 79. In 2010, Cooper suffered a minor stroke. Cooper has stated that she is a football fan, and supported Leeds United when she lived in Yorkshire. She is a Manchester City fan. She is also a supporter of the Conservative Party. Cooper was also in favour of the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. In 2018, Cooper said that because of the Me Too movement, young men and women no longer feel free to flirt with one another, and that she enjoys being the subject of wolf whistles. Cooper is an animal lover and has owned many dogs, in particular, retired greyhounds including Feather and Bluebell.


Honours and awards

Cooper was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the 2004 Birthday Honours for services to literature,
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in the
2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Hono ...
for services to literature and charity, and
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(DBE) in the
2024 New Year Honours The 2024 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Hono ...
for services to literature and charity. On 13 November 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the
University of Gloucestershire The University of Gloucestershire is a public university based in Gloucestershire, England. It is located over five campuses, three in Cheltenham and two in Gloucester. The university is the successor of a large number of merged, name-changed ...
at a ceremony in
Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishme ...
. She is Honorary Doctor of Letters at
Anglia Ruskin University Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public research university in the region of East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins date back to the Cambridge School of Art (CSA), founded by William John Beamont, a Fellow of Trinity College at the Unive ...
. In 2024 she was named Harper's Bazaar's Author of the Year. In 1997, local councillors in Ilkley (West Yorkshire) chose not to recognise Cooper with a street named in her honour. Located on the site of the tennis courts of Ilkley Hall, where Cooper spent some of her childhood, the street was ultimately named after Thomas Maufe, who was awarded a
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
.


Film and television productions

In 1971, Cooper created the comedy series '' It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling'', which featured
Joanna Lumley Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an Indian-born British actress, presenter, author, television producer, activist and former model. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulo ...
and ran for one series. Television adaptations of Cooper's novels were produced for ITV and Disney+. Apart from ''Octavia'', other productions include the television mini-series '' The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous'', starring
Hugh Bonneville Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams (born 10 November 1963), known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey'' from ...
, produced by Sarah Lawson; '' Riders''; and, in 2024, ''
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
'', starring
David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...
, Aidan Turner and Alex Hassell, produced by Eliza Mellor.


Critical reception

In ''How To Be a Heroine'' Samantha Ellis described reading Cooper's novels "like joining a cult".


List of works


Fiction


The Rutshire Chronicles

#'' Riders'' (1985) #''
Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
'' (1988; also known as ''Players'') #'' Polo'' (1991) #'' The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous'' (1993) #'' Appassionata'' (1996) #'' Score!'' (1999) #''
Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hesiod related it, each god cooperated by giving her unique gifts. Her other name—inscribed against her figure on a white-ground '' ky ...
'' (2002) #'' Wicked!'' (2006) #'' Jump!'' (2010) #''
Mount! ''Mount!'' is a 2016 novel by English author Jilly Cooper. It is the tenth book in the Rutshire Chronicles series. The plot centres on Rupert Campbell-Black's efforts to have his horse Love Rat named as Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, ...
'' (2016) #'' Tackle!'' (2023)


Romances

#''Emily'' (1975) #''Bella'' (1976) #'' Harriet'' (1976) #'' Octavia'' (1977) #''Prudence'' (1978) #'' Imogen'' (1978) #''Lisa and Co.'' (1981; also known as ''Love and Other Heartaches'')


"Little Mabel" series

#''Little Mabel'' (1980) #''Little Mabel's Great Escape'' (1981) #''Little Mabel Wins'' (1982) #''Little Mabel Saves the Day'' (1985)


Non-fiction

*'' How to Stay Married'' (1969) *''How to Survive from Nine to Five'' (1970) *''Jolly Super'' (1971) *''Men and Super Men'' (1972) *''Jolly Super Too'' (1973) *''Women and Super Women'' (1974) *''Jolly Superlative'' (1975) *''Supermen and Superwomen'' (1976) *''Work and Wedlock'' (1977) *''Superjilly'' (1977) *''The British in Love'' (1979) *'' Class: A View from Middle England'' (1979) *''Supercooper'' (1980) *''Violets and Vinegar: An Anthology of Women's Writings and Sayings'' (1980) *''Intelligent and Loyal'' (1981) *''Jolly Marsupial'' (1982) *'' Animals in War'' (1983) *''The Common Years'' (1984) *''On Rugby'' (1984; with Leo Cooper) *''On Cricket'' (1985; with Leo Cooper) *''Hotfoot to Zabriskie Point'' (1985; with Patrick Lichfield) *''Horse Mania!'' (1986) *''How to Survive Christmas'' (1986) *''Turn Right at the Spotted Dog'' (1987) *''Angels Rush In'' (1990) *''Between the Covers'' (2020)


References


External links

*
Jilly Cooper
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Jilly Cooper
The official Jilly Cooper website
Jilly Cooper's Video Newsletter for May 2008
BizView.tv

BizView.tv * at 'SBillington.com'

''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', 15 June 2004 – Article about Cooper's writing
Jilly Cooper
An interview with Jilly recorded in 2000 by meettheauthor.co.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Jilly 1937 births 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers 21st-century English novelists 21st-century English women writers British Book Award winners British women romantic fiction writers Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire English romantic fiction writers English women journalists English women non-fiction writers English women novelists Living people People educated at Godolphin School People from Hornchurch 20th-century English non-fiction writers 21st-century English non-fiction writers