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Catrin Collier

Welsh novelist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Catrin Collier
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Karen Watkins (née Jones, born 1948),[1] writing as Catrin Collier, is a Welsh novelist known for her historical works, especially those in the Hearts of Gold series, set in her home town of Pontypridd between 1930 and 1950,[1] the first of which was adapted as a BBC drama in 2003. She also writes under the pen names Katherine John[2]/ K. A. John (crime novels),[3] Katherine Hardy[4] (novelisations of television programmes)[3] and Caro French[2] (modern fiction).[3]

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Early life

Collier is of East Prussian descent, with her mother, Gerda Salewski, born in Allenstein, East Prussia, in 1926.[1] Her father, Glyn Jones, was a Welsh Guardsman serving in Germany when he met Gerda.[1] They were married in Pontypridd in July 1947.[1] Collier was born there in 1948 and grew up in the town.[1]

As a comprehensive school teacher, she taught English and drama to A level in schools in Swansea and West Glamorgan.[3]

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Career

Her book One last Summer is based on war-time diaries kept by her mother and maternal grandmother.[1] and is recommended by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust for young people wanting to learn about the Holocaust.[5] It was a 2008 finalist for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Book of the Year.[6]

Television

In 2003, Hearts of Gold was adapted by BBC Wales as a two-part drama, directed by Richard Laxton and co-written by Matthew Baylis.[7] BBC Wales' head of drama Matthew Robinson described her as "the Catherine Cookson of Wales".[8]

Other work

As well as novels, she writes short stories, plays and non-fiction,[3] and has had work published in magazines including published in Woman, Woman's Own and Woman's Weekly.[3]

Personal life

After living in Germany[3] and America,[9] Collier now lives in Swansea near The Gower.[10] She is represented by the literary agency Marjacq Scripts.[6]

She is a member of Swansea Writers' Group, which encouraged her from the outset of her career before she had published a novel.[11]

Ty Catrin, an adult education centre in Pontypridd, was named in her honour in 2002.[12]

Bibliography

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Collier's work includes:[2]

  • 'Hearts of Gold' series
    • (1992). Hearts of Gold. Century. ISBN 978-0712646062.
    • (1993). One Blue Moon. Century. ISBN 978-0712698238.
    • (1994). A Silver Lining. Century. ISBN 978-0712658454.
    • (1995). All That Glitters. Century. ISBN 978-0712658508.
    • (1996). Such Sweet Sorrow. Century. ISBN 978-0712675086.
    • (1997). Past Remembering. Century. ISBN 978-0712675130.
    • (1998). Broken Rainbows. Century. ISBN 978-0712679459.
    • (2000). Spoils of War. Century. ISBN 978-0712684736.
  • Swansea trilogy
  • 'Beggars & Choosers' series
  • Tiger Bay
  • (2007). One Last Summer. Orion. ISBN 978-0752885773.
  • (2008). Magda's Daughter. Orion. ISBN 978-0752885858.
  • (2009). Black Eyed Devils. Accent Press. ISBN 978-1906373610.
  • (2011). Bobby's Girl. Allison & Busby. ISBN 978-0749009298.

As Katherine John

As K. A. John

As Katherine Hardy

As Caro French

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References

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