Jilly Cooper
Encyclopedia
Jilly Cooper OBE is an English author. She started her career as a journalist
and wrote numerous works of non-fiction
before writing several romance novel
s, the first of which appeared in 1975. She is most famous for writing the Rutshire Chronicles
.
, Essex
, England, to Mary Elaine (née Whincup) and Brigadier W. B. Sallitt, OBE. She grew up in Ilkley
and Surrey
, and was educated at the Moorfield School in Ilkley and the Godolphin School
in Salisbury.
, Cooper became a junior reporter for The Middlesex Independent, based in Brentford
. She worked for the paper from 1957 to 1959. Subsequently, she worked as an account executive, copywriter, publisher's reader
and even a receptionist
.
Her break came with a chance meeting at a dinner party. The editor of The Sunday Times Magazine asked her to write a feature about her experiences. 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.
Cooper’s first column led to the publication of her first book, How to Stay Married in 1969, and 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. Several similar volumes were issued.
The theme of class dominates much of her writing and her non-fiction is written from a distinct upper middle-class British perspective, focusing on the relationships between men and women, and matters of social class
in contemporary Britain.
However, Cooper's best-known works are her extremely long novels. The first of these was Riders (1985), an international bestseller, and the first volume of 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 and 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.
Riders and the following books are characterised by intricate plots, featuring multiple story lines and a large number of characters
. (To help the reader keep track, each book begins with a list and brief description of the characters) Although the books do not always follow each other sequentially - Rivals and Polo chronologically overlap, for example - they are linked by recurring characters (chiefly Rupert Campbell-Black, Roberto Rannaldini, and their families) and later books make reference to events of previous books.
The stories heavily feature adultery
, (sexual) infidelity
and general betrayal, melodrama
tic misunderstandings and emotions, money worries and domestic upheavals.
Each book of the Rutshire Chronicles is set in a milieu
that can be considered glamorous and wealthy, such as show jumping
or classical music. These aspects are contrasted with details of the characters' domestic lives, which are often far from glamorous.
Her novel Pandora is not one of the Rutshire Chronicles, but does feature a few characters from the series, and is very similar in style and content. Wicked! follows the same approach, including characters from previous novels and introducing new characters who are relatives, friends or rivals of existing characters. It is set in the fictional county of Larkshire, which borders her other fictional county, Rutshire.
Her most recent novel is Jump! which features characters from Rutshire Chronicles in the world of jump racing.
As with her non-fiction works, Cooper draws heavily on her own point of view
and experiences. For example, her own house is the model for Rupert Campbell-Black's: both are very old (although his is larger); her house overlooks a valley called the Toadsmore, and his overlooks a valley called the Frogsmore. She also draws on her love of animals – dogs and horses feature heavily in her books – and the British countryside.
books. The couple have known each other since 1945 (when Jilly was about eight), although they did not marry until she was 24 and he was 27. Leo Cooper was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease
in 2002. In October 2010 Jilly suffered a minor stroke. The couple were unable to have children naturally. They adopted
two children, Emily and Felix, now adults. They also have four grandchildren, Jago, Lysander, Acer and Scarlett, as well as a rescued cat, Feral, and a rescued greyhound, Feather. They live in an old house in the Cotswolds which they moved to in 1982.
Cooper was involved in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash
. She was a passenger in one of the derailed carriages and had to crawl through a window to escape. She later spoke of feeling that her "number was up" and of being absurdly concerned, due to shock, about a manuscript she had been carrying.
Cooper lives in Bisley
, near Stroud
in Gloucestershire
.
for services to literature in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 2004.
On 13 November 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Gloucestershire
at a ceremony in Gloucester Cathedral
.
'Little Mabel' series:
The Rutshire Chronicles
:
, which featured Joanna Lumley
, and ran for one series.
Television adaptations of Cooper's romance novels are currently in development with ITV
. Octavia
, had its first UK screening in 2009, with actress Tamsin Egerton
, taking the title role.
Previous productions include the TV mini-series The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous
, starring Hugh Bonneville
, produced by Sarah Lawson
.
.
TV show Little Britain
has a recurring joke featuring the fictional character Bubbles DeVere
, who in an attempt to appear important, pretends to receive a call from Jilly Cooper.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and wrote numerous works of non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
before writing several romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s, the first of which appeared in 1975. She is most famous for writing the Rutshire Chronicles
Rutshire Chronicles
The Rutshire Chronicles is the name given to a series of romantic novels by Jilly Cooper. The stories tell tales of mainly British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd, in numerous different sexually charged scenarios, often laced with adultery, illegitimate children,...
.
Early life
Jilly Sallitt was born in HornchurchHornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England, to Mary Elaine (née Whincup) and Brigadier W. B. Sallitt, OBE. She grew up in Ilkley
Ilkley
Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe...
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and was educated at the Moorfield School in Ilkley and the Godolphin School
Godolphin School
The Godolphin School is an independent boarding school for girls at Salisbury in Wiltshire, England, founded in 1726. The school educates some 430 girls between the ages of eleven and eighteen.-History:...
in Salisbury.
Journalism and non-fiction
After unsuccessfully trying to start a career in the British national pressNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, Cooper became a junior reporter for The Middlesex Independent, based in Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
. She worked for the paper from 1957 to 1959. Subsequently, she worked as an account executive, copywriter, publisher's reader
Publisher's reader
A publisher's reader or first reader is a person paid by a publisher or book club to read manuscripts from the slush pile, and to advise their employers as to quality and marketability of the work. They can exercise considerable influence over the offerings of the publishers for whom they worked,...
and even a receptionist
Receptionist
A receptionist is an employee taking an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business...
.
Her break came with a chance meeting at a dinner party. The editor of The Sunday Times Magazine asked her to write a feature about her experiences. This led to a column in which Cooper wrote about marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
and housework. That column ran from 1969 to 1982, when she moved to The Mail on Sunday, where she worked for another five years.
Cooper’s first column led to the publication of her first book, How to Stay Married in 1969, and 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. Several similar volumes were issued.
The theme of class dominates much of her writing and her non-fiction is written from a distinct upper middle-class British perspective, focusing on the relationships between men and women, and matters of social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
in contemporary Britain.
Fiction
In 1975, Cooper published her first work of romantic fiction, Emily. It was based on a short story she wrote for a teenage magazine, as were the subsequent romances (all titled with female names). She also wrote a series of children’s books featuring the heroine Little Mabel.However, Cooper's best-known works are her extremely long novels. The first of these was Riders (1985), an international bestseller, and the first volume of Rutshire Chronicles
Rutshire Chronicles
The Rutshire Chronicles is the name given to a series of romantic novels by Jilly Cooper. The stories tell tales of mainly British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd, in numerous different sexually charged scenarios, often laced with adultery, illegitimate children,...
. 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 and left the manuscript on a bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
. 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.
Riders and the following books are characterised by intricate plots, featuring multiple story lines and a large number of characters
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
. (To help the reader keep track, each book begins with a list and brief description of the characters) Although the books do not always follow each other sequentially - Rivals and Polo chronologically overlap, for example - they are linked by recurring characters (chiefly Rupert Campbell-Black, Roberto Rannaldini, and their families) and later books make reference to events of previous books.
The stories heavily feature adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, (sexual) infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
and general betrayal, melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
tic misunderstandings and emotions, money worries and domestic upheavals.
Each book of the Rutshire Chronicles is set in a milieu
Social environment
The social environment of an individual, also called social context or milieu, is the culture that s/he was educated or lives in, and the people and institutions with whom the person interacts....
that can be considered glamorous and wealthy, such as show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
or classical music. These aspects are contrasted with details of the characters' domestic lives, which are often far from glamorous.
Her novel Pandora is not one of the Rutshire Chronicles, but does feature a few characters from the series, and is very similar in style and content. Wicked! follows the same approach, including characters from previous novels and introducing new characters who are relatives, friends or rivals of existing characters. It is set in the fictional county of Larkshire, which borders her other fictional county, Rutshire.
Her most recent novel is Jump! which features characters from Rutshire Chronicles in the world of jump racing.
As with her non-fiction works, Cooper draws heavily on her own point of view
Perspective (cognitive)
Perspective in theory of cognition is the choice of a context or a reference from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, cohesively forming a coherent belief, typically for comparing with another...
and experiences. For example, her own house is the model for Rupert Campbell-Black's: both are very old (although his is larger); her house overlooks a valley called the Toadsmore, and his overlooks a valley called the Frogsmore. She also draws on her love of animals – dogs and horses feature heavily in her books – and the British countryside.
Private life
In 1961, Jilly married Leo Cooper, a publisher of military historyMilitary history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
books. The couple have known each other since 1945 (when Jilly was about eight), although they did not marry until she was 24 and he was 27. Leo Cooper was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in 2002. In October 2010 Jilly suffered a minor stroke. The couple were unable to have children naturally. They adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
two children, Emily and Felix, now adults. They also have four grandchildren, Jago, Lysander, Acer and Scarlett, as well as a rescued cat, Feral, and a rescued greyhound, Feather. They live in an old house in the Cotswolds which they moved to in 1982.
Cooper was involved in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash
Ladbroke Grove rail crash
The Ladbroke Grove Rail Crash was a rail accident which occurred on 5 October 1999 at Ladbroke Grove, London, England. Thirty-one people were killed and more than 520 injured...
. She was a passenger in one of the derailed carriages and had to crawl through a window to escape. She later spoke of feeling that her "number was up" and of being absurdly concerned, due to shock, about a manuscript she had been carrying.
Cooper lives in Bisley
Bisley, Gloucestershire
Bisley is a village in Gloucestershire, England, approximately east of Stroud. The parish is today united administratively with the adjoining parish of Lypiatt and the two are usually referred to as Bisley-with-Lypiatt...
, near Stroud
Stroud, Gloucestershire
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District.Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets and cafe culture...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
.
Awards and honours
Cooper was awarded an OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to literature in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 2004.
On 13 November 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
The University of Gloucestershire is a university primarily based in Gloucestershire, England, spread over four campuses, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester...
at a ceremony in Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated in 678 or 679 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter .-Foundations:The foundations of the present...
.
Non-fiction
- How to Stay Married (1969)
- How to Survive from Nine to Five (1970)
- Jolly Super (1971)
- Men and Super Men (1972)
- Jolly Super Too (1973)
- Women and Super Women (1974)
- Jolly Superlative (1975)
- Supermen and Superwomen (1976)
- Work and Wedlock (1977)
- Superjilly (1977)
- The British in Love (1979)
- Class
- A View from Middle England (1979)
- Supercooper (1980)
- Violets and Vinegar
- An Anthology of Women's Wrirings and Sayings (1980)
- Intelligent and Loyal (1981)
- Jolly Marsupial (1982)
- Animals in War (1983)
- The Common Years (1984)
- On Rugby (1984; with Leo Cooper)
- On Cricket (1985; with Leo Cooper)
- Hotfoot to Zabriskie Point (1985)
- Horse Mania! (1986)
- How to Survive Christmas (1986)
- Turn Right at the Spotted Dog (1987)
- Angels Rush In (1990)
Fiction
- Emily (1975)
- Bella (1976)
- Harriet (1976)
- Octavia (1977)
- Imogen (1978)
- Prudence (1978)
- Lisa and Co. (1981; also known as Love and Other Heartaches)
'Little Mabel' series:
- Little Mabel (1980)
- Little Mabel's Great Escape (1981)
- Little Mabel Wins (1982)
- Little Mabel Saves the Day (1985)
The Rutshire Chronicles
Rutshire Chronicles
The Rutshire Chronicles is the name given to a series of romantic novels by Jilly Cooper. The stories tell tales of mainly British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd, in numerous different sexually charged scenarios, often laced with adultery, illegitimate children,...
:
- RidersRiders (novel)Riders is an international best-selling novel, written by the English author, Jilly Cooper. It is the first of a series of romance novels known as the Rutshire Chronicles, which are set in the fictional English county of Rutshire. The story focuses on the lives of a group of top show jumping...
(1986) - RivalsRivals (novel)Rivals is a novel by the English author Jilly Cooper. It is the second of the Rutshire Chronicles, a series of books set in the fictional English county of Rutshire....
(1988; also known as Players) - Polo (1991)
- The Man Who Made Husbands JealousThe Man Who Made Husbands JealousThe Man Who Made Husbands Jealous is a novel written by Jilly Cooper as part of the Rutshire Chronicles, about a womanizer who gets embroiled in a scheme to punish wayward husbands....
(1993) - Appassionata (1996)
- Score! (1999)
- Pandora (2002)
- Wicked! (2006)
- Jump! (2010)
Film, TV, or theatrical adaptations
In 1971, Cooper created the comedy series It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes, DarlingIt's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes, Darling
It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes, Darling was a BBC television situation comedy which ran in 1971 for a single series of seven episodes.It was written by Jilly Cooper, and was about four posh young women sharing a flat in London. The cast included Jane Carr and Joanna Lumley, who went on to become...
, which featured Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
, and ran for one series.
Television adaptations of Cooper's romance novels are currently in development with ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. Octavia
Octavia (TV serial)
Octavia is an upcoming ITV adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name. The screenplay has been written by Jonathan Harvey. Octavia is set in Britain during the 1970s....
, had its first UK screening in 2009, with actress Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Egerton is an English actress best known for her roles as Chelsea Parker in the 2007 film St Trinian's, Holly Goodfellow in Keeping Mum and Guinevere in the 2011 TV series Camelot.-Career:...
, taking the title role.
Previous productions include the TV mini-series The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous
The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous
The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous is a novel written by Jilly Cooper as part of the Rutshire Chronicles, about a womanizer who gets embroiled in a scheme to punish wayward husbands....
, starring Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams, known professionally as Hugh Bonneville , is an English stage, film, television and radio actor.-Education:...
, produced by Sarah Lawson
Sarah Lawson (producer)
Sarah Lawson was an English film producer.-Career:From 1982 to 1985, she was Vice President of Planning and Development for DL Taffner Ltd, Los Angeles, and from 1995 to 1996 she was Managing Director of Anglia Television Entertainment Ltd - a joint venture between HBO and the ITV Company.She is...
.
In popular culture
Cooper was a regular panellist on Through the KeyholeThrough the Keyhole
Through the Keyhole was a British panel game, hosted by Sir David Frost where panellists are given a video tour of a mystery famous guest's property and attempt to identify them. As of 1996, it is produced by David Frost's own production company, Paradine Productions at The Leeds Studios , and has...
.
TV show Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
has a recurring joke featuring the fictional character Bubbles DeVere
Bubbles DeVere
Denise or Mavis DeVere is a fictional character in the second and third series of the BBC television sketch show Little Britain and its US spin-off. She is played by Matt Lucas.-Personality:...
, who in an attempt to appear important, pretends to receive a call from Jilly Cooper.
External links
- Jilly Cooper The official books website
- Jilly Cooper's Video Newsletter for May 2008 BizView.tv
- Jilly Cooper's Video Newsletter for December 2007 BizView.tv
- Biography with some interesting quotations from interviews with Jilly Cooper
- The queen of chick lit The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 15 June 2004 - Article about Cooper's writing - Jilly Cooper An interview with Jilly recorded in 2000 by meettheauthor.co.uk