1937 - 2025
Dame Jilly Cooper began her career as a cub reporter on a local paper in Brentford, covering everything from fetes to football. Her breakthrough came in 1969 when The Sunday Times colour magazine published a humorous piece about being a hopelessly undomesticated young wife. The success of that article led to a column in The Sunday Times newspaper, which she wrote for over 13 years, followed by a further five years at The Mail on Sunday.
Her first book, How to Stay Married, was published in 1969. Over the following decades she went on to write romantic novels, children’s books and non-fiction, but is probably best known for The Rutshire Chronicles - the chart topping series including Riders, Rivals, and Polo - as well as her most recent best seller, Tackle!
Streaming on Disney+
Rivals
Diving headfirst into the heady, bitchy, cut-throat world of 1980s independent television we're granted a front row seat to the political power play between our characters both brand new and beloved, including serial heartbreaker Rupert Campbell-Black, as two rival groups battle to win the much sought after Corinium franchise.
This award-winning TV adaptation of Rivals, written by Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade, and produced by Happy Prince, brings a modern day lens to the 1980s - a time when the affluent elite existed in a bubble of immense wealth and power, and would use any means to get what they wanted.
Books by Jilly
Praise for Jilly
She is the very best . . . elegant, glamorous, wonderful fun
Daily Mail
She is a writer I love very, very much…
Jeffrey Archer
Her bawdy humour shines through at all times…
Jackie Collins
She is sharp, funny and touching
TLS
Makes me want to move to Rutshire
Sophie Kinsella
Frees you from the daily drudge
Independent on Sunday
Triumphantly good
The Sunday Times
The Jane Austen of our time
Harpers & Queen
There is no one else like Cooper
Guardian
Flawlessly entertaining
Helen Fielding
Fun, sexy and unputdownable
Marian Keyes
Joyful and mischievous
Jojo Moyes
A witty and irreverent guide
How to survive christmas
Christmas is looming.
Will your mother-in-law present you with yet another hideous jersey this year? How are you going to cope with Granny's dog or the ghastly in-laws? Has the row about where to spend the holiday already started, though summer is not yet a distant memory?
Never fear: Jilly Cooper has the answer to everything.
Whether you should seek refuge in the cooking sherry or suggest a wholesome family walk, Jilly offers sound but often hilarious advice about how to get through the roller-coaster ride that is the festive season.
