British author Jilly Cooper died on Sunday at age 88 after a fall, her agent Felicity Blunt confirmed. Cooper created the Rutshire Chronicles series, which follows upper-class scandals in a fictional Cotswolds county, and wrote 18 novels over five decades. Her second book in the series, Rivals, received a Disney+ adaptation last year.
Cooper began her career as a reporter in 1956, later transitioning to public relations before writing columns for The Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday. She published her first nonfiction book in 1969, and her debut novel, Emily, arrived in 1975. The first Rutshire Chronicles installment, Riders, appeared in 1985.
Cooper married publisher Leo Cooper in 1961, and the couple adopted two children after she could not have biological children. Her agent noted that Cooper defined culture and writing for over 50 years through her sharp social commentary on English upper-middle-class behavior. A public memorial service will be held at Southwark Cathedral in the coming months.
Cooper began her career as a reporter in 1956, later transitioning to public relations before writing columns for The Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday. She published her first nonfiction book in 1969, and her debut novel, Emily, arrived in 1975. The first Rutshire Chronicles installment, Riders, appeared in 1985.
Cooper married publisher Leo Cooper in 1961, and the couple adopted two children after she could not have biological children. Her agent noted that Cooper defined culture and writing for over 50 years through her sharp social commentary on English upper-middle-class behavior. A public memorial service will be held at Southwark Cathedral in the coming months.
