Cookson, Catherine

▪ 1999

      British author (b. June 20, 1906, Jarrow, Durham, Eng.—d. June 11, 1998, Jesmond Dene, near Newcastle upon Tyne, Eng.), penned almost 100 popular novels, which she set in the industrial region of northeastern England, frequently dubbed "Cookson Country." She was intimately familiar with the physical and emotional lay of this land, having been raised in the Tyneside docks area in poverty. Her early experiences lent an edge to her work, which was marked by an earthiness and sincerity that spoke to many readers. Early life was hard for Cookson, who was the illegitimate daughter of an alcoholic mother and a father she never knew. To escape her grim situation, she left school at age 13 and found work in a laundry. In 1940 she married Thomas Cookson, a teacher who encouraged her to write. In 1950 she published her first book, Kate Hannigan. From this time on, in spite of ill health—she suffered from bouts of severe depression and a lifelong blood disorder—Cookson wrote constantly. Although not the recipients of high literary praise, her books were some of the most well-worn volumes in British libraries. Popular beyond British shores, Cookson's novels were translated into 17 languages and sold in some 30 countries. Many of her stories, such as the Mallen trilogy, which chronicled the lives of a wealthy family from Victorian times to the 20th century, were adapted for television. Other tales were brought to life on radio, film, and stage. Cookson wrote two autobiographies, Our Kate: An Autobiography (1969) and Catherine Cookson Country (1986), as well as nine children's books, and a collection of poems, paintings, and meditations, Let Me Make Myself Plain (1988). She was created O.B.E. in 1985 and was advanced to D.B.E. in 1993.

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