Having worked as Barbara Taylor Bradford’s personal PR for more than 15 years, I was privileged enough to spend a lot of time with her both in the UK and in New York.
I gained a rare glimpse into Barbara’s extraordinary life, both professionally, and as our relationship grew, personally.
This is my tribute to the indomitable force of nature that was Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE.
Barbara was simply remarkable: intelligent, compassionate, smart, driven, talented and extremely perceptive. Her mind was like a machine, her imagination was incredible, and she was always quick off the mark. We talked all the time: from conversations about a character or current plot, something she’d read in the UK papers, the latest royals going ons, or new book ideas – she had at least six new novel ideas safely tucked away in a shoebox in her desk drawer at any one time.
She is often described as a storyteller of substance, and she truly was. Barbara had a unique ability to turn even the mundane into magic. She could make a routine trip to the dentist as gripping as one of her plot lines. She would call me, either “cutting to the chase” – one of her favourite phrases, though she rarely did – or spend more than an hour chatting. We would discuss everything, from conversations about a character or current plot, something she’d read in the UK papers and the latest royals going ons. Barbara always had incredible stories. One of my favourites was from her time as a journalist on The London American in the 1960s. Determined to profile a jet pilot, she convinced the General at RAF Lakenheath to let her accompany a pilot in an F-100 Super Sabre Supersonic Jet. Dressed in full flight uniform, she soared into the sky and heard the sonic boom. She became one of the first civilian women to break the sound barrier—and had the picture to prove it!
Over the years, I accompanied Barbara to countless interviews and events – too many to count. Book signings were always busy, queues were guaranteed. Fans would travel from afar, bringing old copies of her novels for her to sign while buying the latest release. On one occasion, an American lady asked her to sign her copy of A Woman of Substance…..with a bullet hole in it. Barbara was alarmed, asked what had happened, and the lady said her husband shot the book as she was reading it so much!
Her books became like bibles to many. Readers would frequently tell her their story and cite how her books changed their lives: “It inspired me to set up a business”, “It helped me through some dark times” or “It gave me courage to change my career”. Their lives forever altered by the stories she wrote.
Wherever she was in the world, we got stopped. On flights, air stewardesses would ask her all about her writing, while in a department store shoppers wanted to chat and talk about the most recent BTB book they’d just read, when having Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester (her favourite London hotel), guests would politely ask for a picture. Barbara always says yes. “If they have spent their money on one of my books, it is the least I can do to say thank you,” she’d say.
I saw Barbara at her most vulnerable when her beloved husband of 55 years, Bob died. She asked me to come to New York and stay with her, help manage the media, and simply be there. It was such a heartbreaking time, their love for each other was remarkable, they were two peas in a pod. Despite her immense grief, Barbara continued to write bestseller while managing Bob’s businesses, honouring his wish that she keeps going.
I sometimes used to say to Barbara she was the original woman of substance. She’d brush off the compliment, and move on with the next meeting, interview, or chapter of her book without fuss. While she encountered many remarkable women, Barbara rarely used the term she made famous. To Barbara, being A Woman of Substance was a title reserved for someone truly extraordinary. She once described the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “Statewoman of Substance”, truly loved and held with such affection across the whole world because she stood for all that is good and honourable. In many ways, I feel the same about Barbara.
Words were her business, and she knew words had the power to change lives. That’s why she was passionate about her work for National Literacy Trust in the UK, Literacy Partners US, Women in Journalism, and Reporters Without Borders to name just a few of the charities and not-for-profit organisations she served.
Throughout her career, Barbara made it her business to help writers to be successful. As part of her ambassador role for National Literacy Trust, she twice chaired the judges for The Sunday Times Write Stuff competition which encouraged the next generation of female fiction writers. She was very proud of the competition and very committed. I remember Barbara calling me about one of the entries written by a young teenage girl, so moved about the tale of a lost dog that it made her cry. She had got up at 5am to read through all the shortlisted entries and wrote notes about every single story ahead of a conference call to the London judging teams involved in the competition judging. That was Barbara to a tee.
Barbara gave generously. She waived royalties, donated fees, and contributed work freely. During the pandemic, she gifted one of her books so it could be adapted for blind readers and wrote a 25,000-word short story for a national newspaper when asked for just 5,000. In the interview which went alongside it, Barbara quoted her hero Winston Churchill, telling them to “KBO” (Keep Buggering On) and she did that throughout her own life.
When Barbara was in town, she really loved meeting editors and writers, and they loved meeting her. Proud of her roots as a journalist and passionate about supporting press freedom, she was refreshingly no-nonsense, consistently gave engaging interviews, and always left a lasting impression.
In 2019, she was guest of honour at a dinner at Corinthia London to mark her becoming the first Ambassador of Women in Journalism. Surrounded by Fleet Street’s finest female editors, Barbara captivated the room, sharing off-the-record anecdotes and inspiring many who credited her book A Woman of Substance with influencing their careers.
Despite her global success, Barbara remained grounded. She adored fish and chips with malt vinegar—a treat we enjoyed at the end of her annual book tours. I’d joke, “Look at us, two women from Yorkshire, living it up at The Dorchester,” and we’d share a laugh over a glass of her favourite Billecart-Salmon rosé champagne.
Another time, we threw a little family party at my home to celebrate Barbara and Bob’s 50th wedding anniversary and I asked Barbara what she’d most like to eat. I was thinking oysters, Dover sole, pink Billecart-Salmon champagne – all her favourites – but she replied: “Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by Apple Crumble and custard!”
She loved my three daughters, and they loved her. One evening, while she was over for dinner, my youngest, Ruby, lost her first tooth and was excited about the tooth fairy’s impending visit. While she was asleep, we put a shiny £1 coin in the tooth jar, and Barbara added a touch of literary magic by penning a note from the US tooth fairy – whom she hilariously named Barbarella – and tucking in a crisp $50 bill in the envelope.
The last time I saw Barbara was in August in New York. Lively as ever, we discussed Richard III, Middlemarch, Taylor Swift, M&S nighties and Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut bars (one of her favourites). We had a great few hours and put the world to rights over a of glass of French rosé.
I’m devastated that Barbara’s own story has now come to an end but know her words and legacy will live on. Her novels remain as compelling and readable as ever, continuing to inspire and captivate readers around the world.
When asked what she would want on her epitaph, her reply was simple: “She made her dreams come true.” And she truly did.
Copyright: Maria Boyle
Personal PR to Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE
Personal PR to Robert Bradford
