History of Jilly Cooper in Timeline

Jilly Cooper is a celebrated English author, primarily known for her romance novels, especially the Rutshire Chronicles. She began her career in journalism before transitioning to fiction in 1975. Cooper's work is characterized by its engaging storytelling and exploration of relationships, solidifying her place as a prominent figure in popular literature.

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Full Timeline

February 1937: Jill Sallitt Born

In February 1937, Jilly Cooper, then known as Jill Sallitt, was born.

1948: First Meeting with Leo Cooper

In 1948, Jilly Cooper first met Leo Cooper, although they did not marry until 1961.

1957: Junior Reporter

In 1957, Jilly Cooper became a junior reporter for The Middlesex Independent in Brentford.

1958: Publication of "The Dud Avocado"

In 1958, Elaine Dundy published "The Dud Avocado", which Jilly Cooper later admitted to plagiarizing in sections of her novels "Emily" and "Bella".

The Dud Avocado (New York Review Books Classics)

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1959: Leaving The Middlesex Independent

In 1959, Jilly Cooper left her position at The Middlesex Independent.

1961: Marriage to Leo Cooper

In 1961, Jilly Cooper married Leo Cooper, a publisher of military history books.

1969: Column in The Sunday Times Magazine

In 1969, Jilly Cooper started writing a column about marriage, sex, and housework for The Sunday Times Magazine, after being asked to write a feature about her experiences by the editor of the magazine, Godfrey Smith.

1969: Publication of "How to Stay Married"

In 1969, Jilly Cooper's first book, "How to Stay Married", was published following her column in The Sunday Times Magazine.

How To Stay Married

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1970: Manuscript Lost

In 1970, Jilly Cooper lost the first version of her novel "Riders" on a bus in London. The manuscript was never found, and it took her over a decade to start writing it again.

Riders

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1970: Publication of "How to Survive from Nine to Five"

In 1970, Jilly Cooper published "How to Survive from Nine to Five", a guide to working life.

How To Survive From Nine To Five (Mandarin humour)

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1971: Creation of "It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling"

In 1971, Jilly Cooper created the comedy series "It's Awfully Bad for Your Eyes, Darling", which featured Joanna Lumley and ran for one series.

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1971: Publication of "Jolly Super"

In 1971, a collection of Jilly Cooper's journalism was published in a single volume titled "Jolly Super".

Jolly Super Too

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1975: Publication of "Emily"

In 1975, Jilly Cooper published "Emily", the first novel in a series set on a remote Scottish island, following Emily's move after a quick marriage to a volatile artist. It received complimentary reviews, though similarities to "The Devil's Cub" by Georgette Heyer were noted.

Devil's Cub

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1975: First Romance Novel

In 1975, Jilly Cooper published her first romance novel, marking a shift in her career towards fiction.

1976: Publication of "Harriet" and "Bella"

In 1976, Jilly Cooper published "Harriet", where the titular character becomes pregnant at university and works as a nanny, and "Bella", about an actress whose wealthy fiancee's family disapproves, mixing romance and mystery.

1976: "Emily" Adapted for Television

In 1976, Jilly Cooper's novel, "Emily", was adapted by Eleanor Bron for Thames Television as a six-part romance series.

April 1977: Broadcast of "Emily" Adaptation

On April 6, 1977, Thames Television broadcast the adaptation of "Emily" by Eleanor Bron, directed by Alastair Reid, as part of a six-part romance series.

1977: Publication of "Octavia"

In 1977, Jilly Cooper published "Octavia", a novel set in Britain during the 1970s. It received less positive reviews than her previous novels.

1978: Publication of "Imogen"

In 1978, Jilly Cooper published "Imogen", the final novel in the romance series. The preceding five novels had sold 340,000 copies.

1979: "Prudence" Adapted for Radio

In 1979, "Prudence" was adapted for radio by Capital Radio, starring Felicity Kendal as Prudence, alongside Nigel Davenport and Gerald Harper.

1981: Publication of "Intelligent and Loyal"

In 1981, Jilly Cooper published "Intelligent and Loyal", a book about mongrels, featuring her humorous typology. To gather stories, she advertised in newspapers asking people to share stories about their pets.

1982: Move to Gloucestershire

In 1982, Jilly Cooper and her husband Leo Cooper moved from Putney, southwest London, to an old manor house in Gloucestershire.

1982: Move to The Mail on Sunday

In 1982, Jilly Cooper moved from The Sunday Times Magazine to The Mail on Sunday, where she continued to work for five more years.

1985: Publication of "Riders"

In 1985, Jilly Cooper published "Riders", an international bestseller and the first volume of the Rutshire Chronicles.

Riders

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1989: Appearance on "The Animals Roadshow"

In 1989, following the success of her book "Intelligent and Loyal", Jilly Cooper and her dogs made public appearances, including on "The Animals Roadshow".

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1990: Affair Disruption

In 1990, Jilly and Leo Cooper's marriage was disrupted when Sarah Johnson revealed that she and Leo had had an affair for several years.

October 1993: Admission of Plagiarism

In October 1993, Jilly Cooper admitted that sections of her novels "Emily" and "Bella" were plagiarized from "The Dud Avocado" (1958) by Elaine Dundy, although she claimed it was unintentional.

The Dud Avocado (New York Review Books Classics)

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1994: Views on Product Placement

In 1994, Jilly Cooper stated in the Evening Standard that she found product placement in literary works acceptable and mentioned receiving thank you gifts for unsolicited mentions in her novels.

1997: Street Naming Controversy

In 1997, local councillors in Ilkley chose not to name a street after Jilly Cooper. The street, located on the site of tennis courts where she spent her childhood, was instead named after Thomas Maufe.

1999: Ladbroke Grove Rail Crash

In 1999, Jilly Cooper was a passenger in one of the derailed carriages in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash, in which 31 people died. She escaped by crawling through a window and was concerned about a manuscript she was carrying.

2002: Leo Cooper Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease

In 2002, Leo Cooper, Jilly Cooper's husband, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

2004: Appointed OBE

In 2004, Jilly Cooper was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to literature.

2007: Proposed TV Adaptation of Romance Novels

In 2007, a television adaptation of four of Jilly Cooper's romance novels was proposed. The only episode to be filmed was "Octavia", with a screenplay by Jonathan Harvey. Aired at a later date.

November 2009: Honorary Doctorate

On November 13, 2009, Jilly Cooper was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Gloucestershire at a ceremony in Gloucester Cathedral.

2009: No Screening Date

As of 2009, there was still no date set for the screening of the television adaptation of "Octavia".

2010: Release of "Jump!"

In 2010, Jilly Cooper released the novel "Jump!", which features characters from the Rutshire Chronicles and tells the story of a horse's transformation into a successful racehorse. She named a goat in the book (Chisolm) to hit back at critic Anne Chisholm.

2010: Minor Stroke

In 2010, Jilly Cooper suffered a minor stroke.

November 2013: Death of Leo Cooper

On November 29, 2013, Jilly Cooper's husband, Leo Cooper, died at the age of 79, after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002.

2013: Comments on Mongrel Discrimination

In 2013, Jilly Cooper described her book "Little Mabel Wins" as 'prophetic' because it featured a protest against mongrel discrimination at the dog show, during an interview to discuss the inclusion of a new class for mongrels at Crufts.

2013: "Harriet" Being Adapted into a Musical

In 2013, The Telegraph reported that Jilly Cooper's "Harriet" was being adapted into a musical by Eva Rice, novelist and daughter of Tim Rice.

2017: Juno Dawson's comments on Cooper's romances

In 2017, Juno Dawson described in her book "The Gender Games" how her obsession with Jilly Cooper's romance novel covers as a child made her feel "not very good at being a boy".

2018: Comments on Me Too Movement and Political Views

In 2018, Jilly Cooper said that the Me Too movement has stifled flirting. She also revealed that she was a supporter of the Conservative Party and was in favor of the Iraq War.

2018: Appointed CBE

In 2018, Jilly Cooper was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours for services to literature and charity.

2024: Appointed DBE

In 2024, Jilly Cooper was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Year Honours for services to literature and charity.

2024: Author of the Year

In 2024, Jilly Cooper was named Harper's Bazaar's Author of the Year.

2024: Race Horse Named After Cooper Destroyed

In 2024, a race horse named after Jilly Cooper had to be destroyed after a racing accident.

2024: Release of "Rivals" mini series

In 2024, the television mini-series "Rivals", based on Jilly Cooper's novel, was released, starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner, and Alex Hassell, and produced by Eliza Mellor.