Credit: Caroll Teveras/Bradford Enterprises
As a tribute to the multi-million selling author of A Woman of Substance, we're sharing excerpts from Barbara Taylor Bradford's last interview with Saga Magazine last year.
The novelist died in November 2024, at the age of 91. She sold more than 90 million copies worldwide, talked about her final book, her daily routine and her life.
She became a global phenomenon after the publication of her first novel A Woman of Substance in 1979, but the author, who grew up in a Leeds suburb, had already proved her own worth, joining the Yorkshire Evening Post at the age of 15 and then becoming one of the youngest women journalists on Fleet Street, at the age of 20.
Taylor Bradford met her husband, the film producer Robert Bradford, moved to the US and has now published 40 books. In 2007 she was awarded the OBE by the Queen for her services to literature.
“I’ve always been a determined woman and have always had a strong drive and do believe being a successful writer is part of my destiny,” she explained, adding that her life is, “like a story from one of my novels but this one is all true.”
Taylor Bradford's favourite book was Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, while her favourite film Casablanca.
Taylor Bradford was married to Robert for more than 55 years. They met on a blind date organised by a mutual friend. He died in 2019 and she still felt his loss keenly, saying: “I’m lonely without him. It’s like half of me has been chopped off.”
She described him as her best friend, with a great personality and dry humour, but added, “I’m trying to live as normally as I can without Robert.”
She had a great group of friends who would invite her out for dinner and she was determined never to put a downer on things.
“Nobody wants a widow weeping on their shoulder,” she smiled. “They want a nice conversation and a few laughs.”
Taylor Bradford had lived in New York since the 1960s, but despite living in the city for so long, she still considered herself an Englishwoman living in New York. “I’ve been here a long time, but I’m not ‘Americanised,” she told us.
She tried to be at her desk by 6am, where she worked for two hours before she had breakfast which is usually a cup of English breakfast tea, a toasted English muffin spread with peanut butter and a banana.
Taylor Bradford said she was disciplined about her work as a routine suited her best and she was showered and dressed ready to restart at 9.30am.
"I have always used a typewriter,” she said. “But I wrote my new book entirely by hand as I find it much easier.
“However, I'm not writing all of that time. I'm mostly thinking, going over research, and editing the work done the day before.”
Lunchtime was a salad or sandwich and she tried to get away by 5pm, saying, “I turn off the lights and ‘go home’."
She relaxed by putting her feet up with the UK newspapers – she read the Daily Telegraph, The Times and the Daily Mail every day.
Dinner was either out with friends or she would heat up a shepherd’s pie left by her housekeeper.
Although she lived on the other side of the Atlantic her favourite meal was still fish and chips.
Her last book The Wonder of It All brings brought back one of Taylor Bradford’s favourite characters, James Falconer, and was the third historical novel in her Victorian family saga – The House of Falconer series.
James is now a wealthy businessman but he’s had some setbacks and volunteers to fight in the Great War.
Taylor Bradford said: “James must weather both personal and professional storms to find happiness beyond his success. Whether he does, who knows? I’m not going to tell you anymore as I don’t want to spoil the story!”
When we spoke, Taylor Bradford was toying with writing her autobiography.
“I’m thinking about calling it An Unlikely Life, as that’s what I’ve had,” she said.
“One minute I’m working in the busy newsroom at the Yorkshire Evening Post and the next the world goes mad for A Woman Of Substance.
"Then in another blink of an eye, I’m in the White House having dinner with the President and his wife.
"My life really has been a whirlwind.”
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