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Jilly Cooper
English author (1937–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Dame Jilly Cooper (born Jill Sallitt; 21 February 1937 – 5 October 2025) was an English author and journalist, best known for her long-running Rutshire Chronicles series. She began her career in journalism and published several works of non-fiction, including books on class, animals and marriage, before turning to fiction. Her first romance novel appeared in 1975 and she went on to become a prominent figure in British popular literature, noted for her witty social commentary and depictions of upper-middle-class life.
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Early life
Jill Sallitt was born in Hornchurch, Essex, on 21 February 1937 to Mary Elaine (née Whincup) and Brigadier W. B. Sallitt.[1] She grew up in Ilkley, Yorkshire and in Surrey. She was educated at the Moorfield School in Ilkley and the Godolphin School in Salisbury, Wiltshire.[1][2]
Journalism and non-fiction
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After unsuccessfully trying to begin a career in the British national press, aged 20, Cooper became a junior reporter for The Middlesex Independent, based in Brentford.[3] She worked for the paper from 1957 to 1959. Subsequently, she worked as an account executive, copywriter, publisher's reader and receptionist. 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.[4] This led to a column in which Cooper wrote about marriage, 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.[3]
Cooper's first column led to the publication of her first book, How to Stay Married, in 1969, 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 dominated much of her writing and her non-fiction (including Class itself), with her work 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.[2]
In 1981 Cooper published Intelligent and Loyal, which is a book about mongrels.[5] In it Cooper created her own humorous typology for mongrels.[6] To gather stories about mongrels for the book, Cooper put an advert in newspapers asking people to share stories about their pets for the book.[5][7] As a result of the book's success Cooper and her dogs subsequently made public appearances, including on The Animals Roadshow in 1989.[8]
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Fiction
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As with her non-fiction works, Cooper drew 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;[9] her house overlooks a valley called Toadsmoor, while his overlooks a valley called the Frogsmore. She also drew on her love of animals:[10] dogs and horses feature heavily in her books. Woods, hills, fields, pastures and rivers feature frequently. Cooper was called "the queen of the bonkbuster".[11] Cooper described the research she undertook for each novel as "like studying for an A-level".[12] Quoted in the Evening Standard in 1994, Cooper stated that she thought that product placement in literary works was acceptable and discussed how she had received thank you gifts as a result of unsolicited mentions in her novels.[13]
Romantic novels series
Cooper was encouraged to write romantic fiction by the editor Desmond Elliott, who had read the short stories she had written previously for teenage magazines.[14] At the time she was working in publicity for HarperCollins; Elliott commissioned her with a six-book contract and the paperback rights were subsequently sold to Corgi Books.[14] The series sold in the 100,000s.[14] The contract was for Cooper to publish a novel every six months.[15]
The first novel in the series was Emily, which was published in 1975.[16] Set on a remote Scottish island, its storyline follows Emily who moves to the island after a short courtship and marriage to a volatile artist.[17] Reviews were complimentary,[18][19] although Auberon Waugh noted similarity between Emily and Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer.[20] The work was compared to Nancy Mitford and Barbara Cartland.[15] Emily was followed by Harriet and then Bella, both published in 1976.[21][22] In Harriet, the titular character becomes pregnant whilst at university and subsequently works as a nanny for an irascible screenwriter so she can take the baby with her.[23] In review, Barbara Cartland disliked the novel.[24] The novel Bella's storyline revolves around an actress whose fiancé is super-wealthy, but his family do not approve of Bella.[25] The novel mixes romance and mystery, as Bella is kidnapped.[25] Auberon Waugh praised the emotional engagement of the novel, but The Guardian described disappointment since good jokes were lost in the prose.[20][26] 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 (1958) by Elaine Dundy, but said that it was not deliberate.[27]
The next novel in the series was Octavia, which was published in 1977, set in Britain during the 1970s.[28] Reviews were less positive than the previous novels, but Cooper's word-play continued to be praised.[29] In a review Auberon Waugh expressed frustration with the novel as he felt Cooper could write much better than the text.[30] Octavia was followed by the novel Prudence, which was set in the Lake District in England during a house party.[31][32] The novel had a mixed reception upon publication, including from one reviewer who hoped it was the last in the series.[33] In response, Cooper's publisher, Desmond Elliott, wrote to the paper announcing that the next novel, Imogen, was due that same year and it too was likely to be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of readers.[34]
The final novel in the series is Imogen, which was published in 1978.[35] At the time of publication, the preceding five novels had sold 340,000 copies.[36] Set between Yorkshire and the south of France, it follows Imogen as she is seduced by a tennis player, who takes her on holiday, but ultimately falls in love with his best friend.[35] The novel was mostly received favourably,[37] although the character of Imogen was described in one review as "spineless".[38] It is cited as an example in academic texts on a variety of themes, including the allure of the French Riviera for Anglo-American culture,[39] and a cultural analysis of cohabitation in the 1970s.[40] Also grouped in the romance series is the short story collection Lisa & Co; each story is based on some of Cooper's earliest writings for women's magazines in the 1960s.[41][42]
In 2017 in her book The Gender Games, writer Juno Dawson described how her obsession with the "ultra-glam" covers of these romances as a child gave her a sense that she was not "very good at being a boy".[43]
Rutshire Chronicles
Cooper's best-known works are her Rutshire novels. The first was Riders (1985), an international bestseller and the first volume of the 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, but left the manuscript on a bus. The London Evening Standard 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.[44]
Riders and the following books, including Rivals, 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 and general betrayal, melodramatic misunderstandings and emotions, money worries and domestic upheavals.[45]
Each book of the Rutshire Chronicles is set in a glamorous and wealthy milieu, such as show jumping[46] or classical music. These aspects are contrasted with details of the characters' domestic lives, which are often far from glamorous.
The novel Jump! was released in 2010.[47] 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.[47] 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.[48]
Little Mabel series
Cooper also wrote a series of four children's books based on the misadventures of a young mongrel puppy called Mabel.[49] The Little Mabel series comprised Little Mabel, Little Mabel's Great Escape, Little Mabel Wins and Little Mabel Saves the Day.[49] When interviewed in 2013 to discuss the inclusion of a new class for mongrels at Crufts, Cooper described her book Little Mabel Wins as "prophetic" since it featured a protest against mongrel discrimination at that dog show.[50] Two of the books featured in the British children's television series Jackanory, read by Victoria Wood and Liza Goddard.[51][52]
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Personal life
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In 1961 she married Leo Cooper, a publisher of military history books.[53] The couple had met when she was aged eight and Cooper aged 10, although they did not marry until she was 24 and he was 27.[54][3] The couple adopted two children and had five grandchildren.[55][56] In 1982, the couple left Putney, south west London, for an old manor house near Stroud, Gloucestershire.[53][57] As she told The Field in 2002, "I loved London, but I used to cry because I missed the countryside. We did the usual married run: Earl’s Court; Fulham; Putney; Move To The Country." [58] The Coopers' marriage was greatly disrupted in 1990 when publisher Sarah Johnson revealed that she and Leo had had an affair for several years.[59][60] Leo was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002. He died on 29 November 2013, at the age of 80.[53] In 2010, Cooper suffered a minor stroke.[61]
Cooper was a passenger in one of the derailed carriages in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash of 1999, in which 31 people died,[55] and crawled through a window to escape. She later spoke of feeling that her "number was up".[3]
Cooper was a supporter of the Conservative Party,[62] and was also in favour of the Iraq War (2003 to 2011).[63] In a 2007 interview with The Guardian she said, "I loved Mrs Thatcher, I adored her, she was very very nice to me".[64] By 2012, however, she had grown disillusioned with the Conservatives, telling The Spectator that she was "disappointed with this government" and that the party was "full of terrible people now".[65]
In 2018 Cooper said that because of the #MeToo movement, young men and women no longer feel free to flirt with one another and that she enjoyed being the subject of wolf whistles.[66]
Cooper stated that she was a football fan and supported Leeds United when she lived in Yorkshire.[67] She was also a Manchester City fan.[68]
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Death and tributes
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Cooper died on 5 October 2025, aged 88, following a fall at her home in Bisley, Gloucestershire.[57][69][70]
Queen Camilla, a long-term friend, led the tributes to Cooper, describing her as a legend and a "wonderfully witty and compassionate friend to me and so many", adding: "May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs."[71] The official spokesman of the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said: "Dame Jilly Cooper was a literary force whose wit, warmth and wisdom shaped British culture for over half a century and brought joy to millions." Famously a fan of Cooper's novels, former prime minister Rishi Sunak wrote on X: "Sad to hear of the passing of Dame Jilly Cooper, a storyteller whose wit and love of character brought joy to millions. My thoughts are with her family and fellow readers."[72]
Others paying tribute to Cooper included comedian Helen Lederer, who wrote on X: "Trail blazer, wit, optimist and the giver of the greatest summer parties – you made it look simple." Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth wrote that she was "simply adorable".[73]
Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp said Cooper was "a British institution, funny, enthusiastic and self deprecating, we don't see enough of it these days".[74] Piers Morgan posted: "Such a fabulously fun, mischievous, warm-hearted lady. If she was in a room, everyone would feel instantly cheerier."[74] Fellow broadcaster Russell Grant wrote on X: "Jilly was one of the most kind, courteous, generous, warm-hearted and smiley people I ever met when I worked on breakfast and morning TV."[75] Actress Dame Joanna Lumley, who starred in Cooper's early 1970s sitcom It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling, told BBC News: "She was entirely generous, hugely talented, prolific, enthusiastic, meticulous and wholly loveable: a darling friend and a brilliant person."[76]
A number of authors have also recognised her and her legacy, including Jill Mansell who credited Cooper for inspiring her to be a writer. The Australian-British author Kathy Lette said: "A twinkle has gone out of the world."[76] Author and former doctor Adam Kay recalled being Cooper's "perhaps unlikely penpal", adding: "We have lost one of the greats."[71]
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Honours and awards
Cooper was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2004 Birthday Honours for services to literature, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours for services to literature and charity and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to literature and charity.[77]
On 13 November 2009, Cooper was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Gloucestershire at a ceremony in Gloucester Cathedral.[78] She was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters at Anglia Ruskin University.[79] In 2024 she was named Harper's Bazaar's Author of the Year.[80]
In 1997 local councillors in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, rejected a housing developers' proposal to name a street after Cooper.[81] 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. Cooper stated that "[Maufe] is much more deserving than me."[81]
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Activism
Cooper campaigned for the preservation of limestone grasslands in Gloucestershire with the Trust for Nature Conservation.[82]
Film and television productions
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Screenwriting and appearances
In 1971 Cooper wrote the comedy series It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling with Christopher Bond, about four posh young women sharing a flat in London, featuring Joanna Lumley and airing on BBC1.[83][84] In the 1980s she was a regular guest on the BBC television programme What's My Line?[85]
Adaptations
Romance series
Emily was adapted by Eleanor Bron for Thames Television in 1976 as part of a six-part romance series.[86][87] Directed by Alastair Reid,[88] it was broadcast on 6 April 1977.[89] Prudence was adapted for radio in 1979 by Capital Radio, starring Felicity Kendal as Prudence,[90] alongside Nigel Davenport and Gerald Harper.[91]
In 2007 a television adaptation of four of the romance novels was proposed.[92] This was suggested as one of a four-part series focussing on Harriet, Bella, Octavia and one unspecified; the only episode to be filmed was Octavia.[92] The screenplay was written by Jonathan Harvey.[93] As of 2009 there was no date for its screening.[94][note 1] In 2013 The Telegraph reported that Harriet was being adapted into a musical by Eva Rice, novelist and daughter of Tim Rice.[95]
Rutshire Chronicles
Television adaptations of Cooper's novels were produced for ITV and Disney+. Other productions include the television mini-series The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, starring Hugh Bonneville, produced by Sarah Lawson; Riders;[96] and, in 2024, Rivals, starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Alex Hassell, produced by Eliza Mellor.
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Racehorse
A racehorse was named after Cooper, but it had to be euthanised in 2024 after a racing accident.[97][98]
List of works
Fiction
The Rutshire Chronicles
Romances
"Little Mabel" series
Non-fiction
- How to Stay Married (1969)[121]
- How to Survive from Nine to Five (1970)[122]
- Jolly Super (1971)[123]
- Men and Super Men (1972)[124]
- Jolly Super Too (1973)[125]
- Women and Super Women (1974)[126]
- Jolly Superlative (1975)[127]
- Supermen and Superwomen (1976)[128]
- How to Survive Work and Wedlock (1977)[129]
- Superjilly (1977)[130]
- The British in Love (1979)[131]
- Class: A View from Middle England (1979)[132]
- Supercooper (1980)[133]
- Violets and Vinegar: An Anthology of Women's Writings and Sayings (1980)[134]
- Intelligent and Loyal (1981)[135]
- Jolly Marsupial (1982)[136]
- Animals in War (1983)[137]
- The Common Years (1984)[138]
- On Rugby (1984; with Leo Cooper)[139]
- On Cricket (1985; with Leo Cooper)[140]
- Hotfoot to Zabriskie Point (1985; with Patrick Lichfield)[141]
- Horse Mania! (1986; with Leo Cooper)[142]
- How to Survive Christmas (1986)[143]
- Turn Right at the Spotted Dog (1987)[144]
- Angels Rush In (1990)[145]
- Between the Covers (2020)[146]
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Notes
- An email from Jilly Cooper's publisher in May 2025 confirmed that it had never been broadcast.
References
External links
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