Catherine Cookson was born in East Jarrow near the mouth of the River Tyne, one of the poorest areas in Britain. Her childhood was deeply scarred by violence, fear, alcoholism, shame and guilt, and her books were inspired by her upbringing. She fought hard for a better life and was determined to be a writer. Her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many bestselling novels established her as one of the most popular of contemporary women novelists. After receiving an OBE in 1985, Catherine Cookson was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1993, and was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Oxford, in 1997. She died shortly before her ninety-second birthday, in June 1998. By the time of her death, she had written over one hundred books and was the UK’s most widely read novelist, and remained the most-borrowed author in UK public libraries for twenty years. The Cookson estate recently discovered two unpublished manuscripts – a memoir and a novel – in the attic of Cookson’s home. Amazon Publishing will be releasing these two unseen works alongside the author’s backlist, ensuring Catherine Cookson’s legacy is available to readers across the globe.
