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Barbara Taylor Bradford

Sue Lawley's castaway is novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the popular novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford. Born in Upper Armley, Leeds, by the age of 16 Barbara had graduated from the typing pool and was a cub reporter in the newsroom of the Yorkshire Evening Post. By twenty she was Fashion Editor of Woman's Own in London.

In 1976, after a number of failed attempts, she sold her first novel to a publisher on the basis of a ten-page outline. That book A Woman of Substance, has gone on to sell in the region of 20 million copies. The heroine, Emma Harte, inspired such a following that she and her dynasty were the subjects of two further books and despite Emma being 'killed off' in the second, Taylor Bradford has resurrected her for a 'lost years' prequel this summer. Emma's Secret will be her 19th novel, with 10 of them made into TV films.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Vissi d'Arte by Giacomo Puccini
Book: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Luxury: Bag of eye make-up, especially mascara

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 11 Jul 2003 09:00
±«Óãtv Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Un bel di vedremo (One fine day) (from Madama Butterfly)

    Soloist: Marie Callas

    • Voice of the Century.
    • EMI.

  • Rod Stewart

    I'll Be Seeing You

    • It Had To Be You - the Great American.
    • BMG.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    O mio babbino caro (from Gianni Schicchi)

    Soloist: Yvonne Kenny

    • Great Operatic Arias.
    • Chandos.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor

    Soloist: Vladimir Ashkenazy Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra

    • Vladimir Ashkenazy- Favourite Piano.
    • Decca.

  • Diana Krall

    I'll Remember You

    • The Look of Love.
    • Verve.

  • Frank Sinatra

    One For My Baby

    • Frank Sinatra - Reprise Years.
    • Reprise.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Giacomo Puccini

      Vissi d'arte (from Tosca)

      Soloist: Kiri Te Kanawa

      • Tosca.
      • Decca.

  • Charlotte Church

    Jerusalem

    Artist: Welsh National Opera

    • Voice of an Angel.
    • Sony Classical.

  • Book Choice

    • David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

  • Luxury Choice

    • Bag of eye make-up, especially mascara

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Barbara Taylor Bradford

Broadcasts

  • Sun 6 Jul 2003 11:15
    ±«Óãtv Radio 4
  • Fri 11 Jul 2003 09:00
    ±«Óãtv Radio 4

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