Dame Jilly Cooper, the English author and journalist, has passed away at the age of 88. She was best known for her Rutshire Chronicles series of novels published over the span of 38 years. Her passing comes as a shock to her loved ones as well as many fans who grew up with her iconic stories of love and ambition. As per reports, her death followed a recent fall.
Rutshire Chronicles writer Jilly Cooper dies after having a fall
Jilly Cooper died on Sunday morning, October 5, after a fatal fall. Her most popular novels were the Rutshire Chronicles series, which included the books Riders, Mount!, and Polo among many others. Recently, her 1988 novel Rivals was adapted into a Disney+ series and released in 2024.
Cooper’s children, Felix and Emily, said in a statement, “Mum was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds. Her unexpected death has come as a complete shock.” Talking about her work, they further added, “We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”
In her final years, Cooper added another feather to her cap by joining the Rivals’ Disney+ adaptation as an executive producer. The story follows the rivalry of Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham in the county of Rutshire. The series stars David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Bella MacLean, Aidan Turner, and Emily Atack, among others.
Cooper’s agent Felicity Blunt, who worked with her for a long time, said, “The privilege of my career has been working with a woman who has defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over fifty years ago. Jilly will undoubtedly be best remembered for her chart-topping series The Rutshire Chronicles and its havoc-making and handsome show-jumping hero Rupert Campbell-Black.” (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Cooper began her writing career as a journalist 1956 by first working for a local newspaper. She then moved on to PR and worked for the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday. Soon, she published her first non-fiction title, ‘How To Stay Married,’ in 1969.
Originally reported by Elton Fernandes on Comingsoon.
