Jilly Cooper was born in Hornchurch, Essex in 1937, but she comes from a well-known Yorkshire family (her great great grandfather founded The Leeds Mercury, which eventually merged with the Yorkshire Post).
Her writing career began in 1956 when she got a job as a cub reporter on The Middlesex Independent. She then moved to public relations and had a variety of jobs, ending up in book publishing.
Jilly had already started writing stories for women's magazines when in 1968 she met the editor of The Sunday Times Colour Magazine at a dinner party. He invited her to write a piece for him on the difficulties of being a young working wife; as well as being typically outrageous; it was very funny and, as a result, The Sunday Times took her on as a regular columnist.
Subsequently she established a remarkable following among Sunday Times readers whom she delighted regularly over thirteen and a half years with a range of memorably entertaining pieces together with a series of more serious interviews that included Mrs Thatcher, Dame Rebecca West, George Best, Jill Bennett and Sacheverell Sitwell.
Her Sunday Times pieces and many others have been published in several volumes. Her pieces were regularly syndicated abroad, particularly in South Africa and Australia.
In 1982 she left The Sunday Times and joined The Mail on Sunday for whom she wrote a bi-monthly column until 1987.
Her first book, How To Stay Married, was written in 1969. Since then she has written or helped to compile 39 other books.
She has appeared on radio and television, including What's My Line which regularly achieved 14 million viewers. In 1970 she also wrote a TV series entitled It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes Darling, in which Joanna Lumley played a starring role.
Her writing career began in 1956 when she got a job as a cub reporter on The Middlesex Independent. She then moved to public relations and had a variety of jobs, ending up in book publishing.
Jilly had already started writing stories for women's magazines when in 1968 she met the editor of The Sunday Times Colour Magazine at a dinner party. He invited her to write a piece for him on the difficulties of being a young working wife; as well as being typically outrageous; it was very funny and, as a result, The Sunday Times took her on as a regular columnist.
Subsequently she established a remarkable following among Sunday Times readers whom she delighted regularly over thirteen and a half years with a range of memorably entertaining pieces together with a series of more serious interviews that included Mrs Thatcher, Dame Rebecca West, George Best, Jill Bennett and Sacheverell Sitwell.
Her Sunday Times pieces and many others have been published in several volumes. Her pieces were regularly syndicated abroad, particularly in South Africa and Australia.
In 1982 she left The Sunday Times and joined The Mail on Sunday for whom she wrote a bi-monthly column until 1987.
Her first book, How To Stay Married, was written in 1969. Since then she has written or helped to compile 39 other books.
She has appeared on radio and television, including What's My Line which regularly achieved 14 million viewers. In 1970 she also wrote a TV series entitled It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes Darling, in which Joanna Lumley played a starring role.
Jilly's non-fiction includes a book completed for Heinemann and The Imperial War Museum called Animals In War, a book about her London life called The Common Years, a collection of newspaper pieces mostly about her life in Gloucestershire called Turn Right at the Spotted Dog, and two more humorous best-sellers, How to Survive Christmas and How to Survive from 9 to 5.
She is also the author of four children's books about Little Mabel (a mongrel), and a book about mongrels called Mongrel Magic. Her most famous non-fiction work, however, is Class which has gone into many editions.
She is also the author of four children's books about Little Mabel (a mongrel), and a book about mongrels called Mongrel Magic. Her most famous non-fiction work, however, is Class which has gone into many editions.