Author of ‘A Woman of Substance’ was 91

Barbara Taylor Bradford, the bestselling author whose 1979 novel “A Woman of Substance” sold 30 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a hit Channel 4 miniseries, died Sunday. She was 91.

Taylor Bradford’s death was confirmed to the BBC Associated press by a spokesperson, who said she died at her home in New York City. No cause of death was given.

Born on May 10, 1933 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, Taylor Bradford began her career as a journalist before turning to writing novels in her 40s, often about young women making a name for themselves in the business world after overcoming obstacles. In total she wrote 40 books, all of which became bestsellers in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“A Woman of Substance” marked Taylor Bradford’s debut novel in 1979, and her most successful. It sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and in 1984 it was adapted into a three-part Channel 4 miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove, Deborah Kerr, Barry Bostwick and Liam Neeson. The story spans the 20th century and follows Emma Harte, who rises from a teenage clerk in Yorkshire to a retail magnate and is faced with the decision of who should carry on her legacy. The final part of the series aired over three nights and scored 13.8 million viewers for Channel 4, which remains its highest ever audience. The film also aired in the US 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 such as ‘Hold the Dream’ (1985) and ‘To Be the Best’ (1988), both of which were also adapted for television. Taylor Bradford went on to write other book series, such as the Ravenscar Trilogy (2006-2008), the Cavendon Chronicles (2014-2017) and the House of Falconer (2018-2023). She also wrote about ten non-fiction works, including on etiquette, housekeeping and children’s books about Christianity.

She married film producer Robert E. Bradford, who would eventually produce the film adaptations of her novels, in 1963, and the two moved to the United States. Taylor Bradford became an American citizen in 1992. In 2007, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

Taylor Bradford was preceded in death by her husband, who passed away in 2019.