Jilly Cooper#Octavia

Jill Sallitt was born in Hornchurch, Essex, England on 21 February 1937, to Mary Elaine (née Whincup) and Brigadier W. B. Sallitt, OBE.{{cite web|url=http://www.sbillington.com/JillyBio.html |title=Biography with magazine quotations |access-date=2004-08-27 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221155234/http://www.sbillington.com/JillyBio.html |archive-date=21 February 2008}} She grew up in Ilkley and Surrey, and was educated at the Moorfield School in Ilkley and Godolphin School in Salisbury.

{{BLP sources section|date=January 2024}}

After unsuccessfully trying to begin a career in the British national press, 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 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.{{cite newspaper The Times |last= Rose |first= Hilary |date= 24 October 2020 |title= Between the Covers: The World According to Jilly Cooper |url= https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/between-the-covers-the-world-according-to-jilly-cooper-review-v6bt3609s }} 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. The theme of class dominates much of her writing and her non-fiction (including Class itself), which is 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.

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 houses are very old, although his is larger;{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/jilly-the-filly-buster-1.1402779|title=Jilly the filly buster|newspaper=The Irish Times |first=Bernice|last=Harrison|date=25 May 2013}} her house overlooks a valley called Toadsmoor, while his overlooks a valley called the Frogsmore. She also draws on her love of animals:{{Cite web|url=https://www.hayfestival.com/wales/blog.aspx?post=358|title = Jilly Cooper loved Hay so much she wants to base her next novel in Wales|publisher=Hay Festival|date=31 May 2018}} dogs and horses feature heavily in her books. Woods, hills, fields, pastures and rivers feature frequently. Cooper has been called "the queen of the bonkbuster", a British term similar to bodice-ripper.{{cite web |last=Moses |first=Claire |date=2024-10-17 |title=Jilly Cooper on Adapting Her Naughty Romance, ‘Rivals,’ for Disney+ |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/17/arts/television/rivals-jilly-cooper.html |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=The New York Times}} Cooper has described the research she undertakes for each novel as "like studying for an A-level".{{Cite web |last=Matthews |first=Rachel |date=2020-02-15 |title=Mount! author Jilly Cooper: 'When I was younger, I ricocheted from one unsuitable man to another' |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215105312/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/mount-author-jilly-cooper-when-i-was-younger--i-ricocheted-from/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=The Telegraph}}

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: Bella, Imogen, Prudence, Harriet and Octavia. 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 by Elaine Dundy, but said that it was not deliberate.{{cite news |last=Boggan |first=Steve |date=26 October 1993 |title=Jilly falls at old hurdle |work=The Independent}}

Octavia is one of Cooper's "name" books, which each bear a female character's name, and has been made into a television movie. It is set in Britain during the 1970s.{{cite news|last=Conlan|first= Tara |url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/itvunderpressure/story/0,,2130037,00.html |title=ITV rides high with Cooper|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 July 2007}} The broadcast ITV adaptation was produced with a screenplay which was written by Jonathan Harvey.[http://www.thecustard.tv/comingup.html Coming Up] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628180103/http://www.thecustard.tv/comingup.html |date=28 June 2011}} thecustard.tv

Cooper's best-known works are her Rutshire novels. The first 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.{{cite news |last= Day |first= Elizabeth |date= 24 April 2011 |title= Jilly Cooper: 'I'm a reasonable writer but I'm much too colloquial' |work= The Guardian |url= https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/apr/24/jilly-cooper-jump-interview-elizabeth-day |access-date= 4 May 2023 }}

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.{{cite news |last= Loughrey |first= Clarisse |date= 30 January 2019 |title= Jilly Cooper says #MeToo movement has 'diminished' men |work= The Independent |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/jilly-cooper-author-men-diminished-metoo-feminism-a8753946.html |access-date= 4 May 2023 }}

Each book of the Rutshire Chronicles is set in a glamorous and wealthy milieu, such as show jumping{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3Q4fV7LwbJC9hygBHVKBGKg/why-we-all-adore-jilly-cooper|title = BBC Radio 4 – Radio 4 in Four – Why we all adore Jilly Cooper}} or classical music. These aspects are contrasted with details of the characters' domestic lives, which are often far from glamorous.

{{See|Jump!}}

Her novel Jump! was released in 2010.{{cite web |last=Laing |first=Olivia |title=Jump! by Jilly Cooper |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/sep/12/jump-jilly-cooper-racing-horses-review |work=The Observer |date=12 September 2010 |access-date=26 April 2021}} 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. 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.{{cite web |title=Jilly Cooper takes revenge on critic by naming goat after her |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8053718/Jilly-Cooper-takes-revenge-on-critic-by-naming-goat-after-her.html |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=11 October 2010}}

Cooper also wrote a series of children's books featuring the heroine Little Mabel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jillycooper.co.uk/jillys-biography/|title = Jilly's Biography}}

In 1961, she married Leo Cooper, a publisher of military history books. The couple had known each other since 1951 (when Jilly Sallitt was about fourteen), although they did not marry until she was 24 and he was 27. The couple was unable to have children naturally, so adopted two children.{{cite web |last=Grice |first=Elizabeth |title=Jilly Cooper interview |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/8010057/Jilly-Cooper-interview.html |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=17 September 2010 |access-date=26 April 2021}} They have five grandchildren.{{cite web |last=Barber |first=Richard |title=Jilly Cooper: 'My books are my babies' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/apr/07/jilly-cooper-my-books-are-my-babies |work=The Guardian |date=7 April 2017 |access-date=29 March 2019}} The Coopers' marriage was greatly disrupted in 1990 when publisher Sarah Johnson revealed she and Leo had had an affair for several years, though Jilly and Leo eventually reunited.{{cite news |last=Barber |first=Michael |title=Leo Cooper obituary: Publisher of military history books and husband of Jilly Cooper |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/03/leo-cooper |work=The Guardian |date=3 December 2013 |access-date=7 May 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/09/02/Fiction-into-fact/9874652248000/|title=Fiction into fact|website=UPI|first=Karin|last=Davies|date=2 September 1990}} In 1982 the couple left Putney, southwest London, for The Chantry, an old manor house in Gloucestershire.

Jilly Cooper was a passenger in one of the derailed carriages in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash of 1999, in which 31 people died, and crawled 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.

Leo Cooper was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002. He died on 29 November 2013, at the age of 79. In 2010, Cooper suffered a minor stroke.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/jilly-cooper-is-still-riding-high-1.510233|title = Jilly Cooper is still riding high|first=Philippa|last=Kennedy|website=The National|date=26 September 2010 }}

Cooper has stated that she is a football fan, and supported Leeds United when she lived in Yorkshire.{{cite news |date= 25 October 2016 |orig-date= 8 October 2016 |title= Jilly Cooper: why I will write just one more novel |work= Yorkshire Post |url= https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/jilly-cooper-why-i-will-write-just-one-more-novel-645349 |access-date= 4 May 2023 }} She is also a supporter of the Conservative Party.{{Cite web|url=http://www.historymatters.group.shef.ac.uk/women-conservative-party/|title = Women and gender in the Conservative party archive|date = 24 November 2015}} Cooper was also in favour of the Iraq War.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Jilly |title=Cover story: The voices for and against war |url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article231367.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305070412/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/article231367.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 March 2016 |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=16 February 2003 |access-date=29 February 2016}}

In 2018, Cooper said that because of the Me Too movement, young men and women no longer feel free to flirt with one another, and that she enjoys being the subject of wolf whistles.{{cite news |last1=Butterworth |first1=Benjamin |title=Jilly Cooper says she loves being wolf-whistled as she criticises #MeToo movement |url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/women/jilly-cooper-wolf-whistle-181463?srsltid=AfmBOopczajax-woE1_kPJ3c4gxoZFk3K_OccWwd2iCIpvUPyi7c2BGF |access-date=28 February 2025 |work=The i Paper |date=July 29, 2018}}

Cooper is an animal lover and has owned many dogs, in particular, retired greyhounds including Feather and Bluebell.

She is a Manchester City fan.{{Cite web |last=Glancy |first=Josh |date=2024-07-28 |title=Jilly Cooper: ‘Upper classes are unbelievable, they just love sex’ |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728233658/https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/jilly-cooper-the-upper-classes-just-have-to-screw-mnc9g2qm2 |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=The Times}}

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.{{London Gazette |issue=64269 |date=30 December 2023 |page=N9 |supp=y }}

On 13 November 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Gloucestershire at a ceremony in Gloucester Cathedral.[http://resources.glos.ac.uk/staff/news/hon.cfm University Announces Honorary Awards] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119080317/http://resources.glos.ac.uk/staff/news/hon.cfm |date=19 November 2009}} University of Gloucestershire She is Honorary Doctor of Letters at Anglia Ruskin University.{{Cite web |title=Jilly Cooper - ARU |url=https://www.aru.ac.uk/graduation-and-alumni/honorary-award-holders2/jilly-cooper |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.aru.ac.uk |language=en}}

In 1971, Cooper created the comedy series It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling, which featured Joanna Lumley, and ran for one series.{{cite web |title=Jilly Cooper – About – Biography |url=http://www.jillycooper.co.uk/about_detail.html |website=jillycooper.co.uk}}

Television adaptations of Cooper's novels were produced for ITV and Disney+.

Apart from Octavia, other productions include the television mini-series The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, starring Hugh Bonneville, produced by Sarah Lawson, Riders{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/mky96/riders--19082019/|title=Riders (1993)|access-date=21 September 2019|archive-date=21 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921152510/https://www.radiotimes.com/film/mky96/riders--19082019/|url-status=dead}}

and, in 2024, Rivals, starring David Tennant, Aiden Turner and Alex Hassell, produced by Eliza Mellor

The Rutshire Chronicles:

1. Riders (1985)
2. Rivals (1988; also known as Players)
3. Polo (1991)
4. The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous (1993)
5. Appassionata (1996)
6. Score! (1999)
7. Pandora (2002)
8. Wicked! (2006)
9. Jump! (2010)
10. Mount! (2016)
11. Tackle! (2023)

Romances:

1. Emily (1975)
2. Bella (1976)
3. Harriet (1976)
4. Octavia (1977)
5. Imogen (1978)
6. Prudence (1978)
7. Lisa and Co. (1981; also known as Love and Other Heartaches)

'Little Mabel' series:

1. Little Mabel (1980)
2. Little Mabel's Great Escape (1981)
3. Little Mabel Wins (1982)
4. Little Mabel Saves the Day (1985)

• 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 Writings 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; with Patrick Lichfield)
• Horse Mania! (1986)
• How to Survive Christmas (1986)
• Turn Right at the Spotted Dog (1987)
• Angels Rush In (1990)
• Between the Covers (2020){{Cite news|date=2020-10-27|first=Rachel|last=Cooke|title=Between the Covers by Jilly Cooper review – as fresh as ever|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/27/between-the-covers-by-jilly-cooper-review-as-fresh-as-ever|access-date=2021-08-07|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{IMDb name|0178147|Jilly Cooper}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180213062549/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba5c2f0e8 Jilly Cooper] at the British Film Institute
• [http://www.jillycooper.co.uk Jilly Cooper] The official Jilly Cooper website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100529204530/http://bizview.tv/examples/jilly-cooper0805.php Jilly Cooper's Video Newsletter for May 2008] BizView.tv
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080221155234/http://www.sbillington.com/JillyBio.html Jilly Cooper's Video Newsletter for December 2007] BizView.tv
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221155234/http://www.sbillington.com/JillyBio.html |date=21 February 2008 |title=Biography with magazine quotations}} at 'SBillington.com'
• [https://www.theguardian.com/comment/story/0,,1238790,00.html The queen of chick lit] The Guardian, 15 June 2004 – Article about Cooper's writing
• [http://authorslounge.meettheauthor.com/36/jilly_cooper/ Jilly Cooper] An interview with Jilly recorded in 2000 by meettheauthor.co.uk

{{Rutshire Chronicles}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Jilly}}

Category:1937 births

Category:20th-century English novelists

Category:20th-century English women writers

Category:21st-century English novelists

Category:21st-century English women writers

Category:British Book Award winners

Category:British women romantic fiction writers

Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:English romantic fiction writers

Category:English women journalists

Category:English women non-fiction writers

Category:English women novelists

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Godolphin School

Category:People from Hornchurch