Catherine Cookson

BritishHistorical FictionFamily SagaRomanceb. 1906 — d. 1998

Dame Catherine Ann Cookson was a prolific and highly popular British novelist, known for her family sagas set in the North East of England. Born into poverty in Tyne Dock, South Shields, she drew heavily on her own experiences of hardship and working-class life to create her stories. Despite not beginning her writing career until her forties, she became one of the most widely read British authors of the 20th century, with over 100 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

Awards

['Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1985)', 'Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) (1993)', 'Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize (1968)', 'British Book Awards Outstanding Achievement (1994)']