Barbara Taylor Bradford: A woman of substance

After a few hiccups involving time differences and a very poorly pet – I finally manage to speak to Barbara Taylor Bradford, arguably one of the most successful female novelists of our time. Having sold over 81million books worldwide, her 24 novels have been translated into 40 languages and published in over 90 countries, and Barbara is the first author in publishing history to have 24 consecutive bestselling novels in both the UK and USA. It is not without reason then, that in 2007 Barbara was awarded an OBE for her contributions to literature.Her debut novel, A Woman Of Substance was published in 1979, on the back of a ten-page outline Barbara produced for publishers Doubleday, a novel which would eventually be ranked in the top ten bestselling works of fiction in history – having sold 20million copies worldwide by 2002. Telling the story of Emma Harte and the machinations and intrigue of a family retail empire, A Woman of Substance is the first of six novels following the trials and tribulations of the Harte family.

“It is the thirty-year anniversary of A Woman of Substance, would you believe? We’re releasing a special commemoration issue, and it means that I shall be in the UK to promote it. There is always so much to be done, this job is about so much more than writing a book, and it always has been” says Barbara, and this combined with the release of her 25th novel in August (September in the UK) ‘Break The Rules’ makes 2009 an incredibly busy year for the Yorkshire born writer– turned  New Yorker.

“Ah yes, the current novel! Well, it involves the Harte family, of course, and it sees the return of an old enemy and nemesis, intent on destroying some of the women. I shall tease you – ‘When those you love are threatened, you’ll do anything to protect them, even break the rules’”, Barbara explains of her forthcoming novel. Theres little doubt that Break The Rules will also enjoy the same success and reception of her most recent novel, Being Elizabeth, but Barbara explains that it isn’t the praise which motivates her, “I just adore writing, I love reading and books and literature. But I do adore writing the most. I may complain about it swallowing my time, but I couldn’t do anything else.”

Her previous novel, Being Elizabeth was based on the life of Elizabeth I, Barbara’s favourite monarch from her favourite period “I find the Tudor’s fascinating, I love that period. I am from Yorkshire so I grew up with that history, they were very much a Yorkshire family, you know. I feel inspired by them”.

However, translating the life of a female monarch in the 16th century into the modern day has its challenges “I did an awful lot of research, I read biographies and historians’ books. It was incredibly difficult, and a very serious project. For example Elizabeth suffered from small pox – how do I make that relevant to modern day? To now? I struggled, instead my character had pneumonia”.

Barbara’s love of history is clear – both 2006’s The Ravenscar Dynasty and 2007’s The Heir mirror the lives of the Plantagenet kings Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII, and although she admits to being a huge fan of history, she seems to prefer writing about novels set in the present day, perhaps why she is so excited about Break The Rules, “It was nice to write about something happening today. Of course all novels present their own challenges and difficulties, but writing about the here and now takes away some of the stress”.

However, whilst a reader acquainted with the biographies of 16th century monarchs would perhaps notice the similarities with Barbara’s protagonists, does Barbara ever worry about her references being missed? “How funny you would ask that!” her voice chimes, “When the paperback of Being Elizabeth was released in March, the publishers asked me to include some notes on the historical context of the novel. I wish I could have done it in the hardback – I would hate to think people didn’t get it”.

“Elizabeth was a remarkable woman, coming to the throne at the age of 25, surrounded by men who didn’t take her seriously. And look at how history has remembered her? Incredible, inspiring. I wanted to put her story into the modern context, to celebrate it, I suppose”.

I suggest that maybe Barbara herself relates to the more resilient and strong qualities of her chosen Queen, herself overcoming the odds to an extent, etching out her career at the Yorkshire Evening Post before moving to Fleet street in the male-dominated industry.

“Oh yes, I am a very strong woman” she asserts with a laugh, “I enjoy the company of hardworking, capable and independent women. I know that I can rely on myself and I like to explore that with my characters. I wouldn’t flatter myself to think I am like Elizabeth Tudor, but I admire her.”

While it may be her novels that have bought her fame and fortune, it is in print journalism that she honed her craft, “I may write novels, but I will always be a journalist. I consider myself a journalist – I did it all, from crime to showbiz and fashion.” And she is keen not to forget her roots, having recently lent her support to the strikes on the Yorkshire Evening Post against redundancies, “I worry for the future of print journalism. Everywhere, both at home and in the States, newspapers are closing every day. When I heard that the paper (Yorkshire Evening Post) faced similar difficulties, I had to send them a letter of support. The next thing I heard they had my face on placards, chanting ‘Thank you Barbara’, which I thought was rather fun”.

“I just love reading the paper, holding the paper. I can’t abide reading news online, even though I imagine that is where it’s headed. The same with books, nothing is quite as satisfying as reading a book. Oh heavens! Imagine if the bookstore is the next to go! I spend all my down time in book shops, my husband jokes that we spend all of our holidays buying books. I think we will see a great change in the written word over the next few years, and I think it will be a shame”.

I wonder what a woman, who spends her time reading for research and writing novels for work, reads in her spare time? Surely the last thing any novelists want is to read in their ‘off time’. “Oh heavens no! I adore reading. I love the classics, especially the Brontes – I always thought Jane Eyre was a very modern woman. A woman before her time, independent and resilient. That said, I enjoy P.D James, I think he’s wonderful. I do love a thriller. Oh, and Ruth Rendell…and Penny Vincenzi! She writes marvelous novels, very long and engrossing”.  She stops herself from listing every author she has ever read, saying “We’ll be here all day! Is that enough?”

To close, I ask Barbara how she would define her style and voice, “I write about women that are not wimps. Women that get on with it”. Which, perhaps, most aptly sums up her attitude to her work and life.