(Catherine Cookson was born in Tyne Dock, the illegitimate daughter of a poverty-stricken woman, Kate, whom she believed to be her older sister. She began work in service but eventually moved south to Hastings, where she met and married Tom Cookson, a local grammar-school master. Although she was originally acclaimed as a regional writer - her novel The Round Tower won the Winifred Holtby Award for the best regional novel of 1968 - her readership quickly spread throughout the world, and her many best-selling novels established her as one of the most popular of contemporary women novelists. After receiving an OBE in 1985, Catherine Cookson was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1993. She was appointed an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1997. For many years she lived near Newcastle upon Tyne. She died shortly before her ninety-second birthday, in June 1998.
Series
Mary Ann Shaughnessy
1. A Grand Man (1954)
The Lord and Mary Ann (1956)
The Devil and Mary Ann (1958)
Love and Mary Ann (1961)
Life and Mary Ann (1962)
Marriage and Mary Ann (1964)
Mary Ann's Angels (1965)
Mary Ann and Bill (1967)
Mary Ann Omnibus (omnibus) (1981)
The Mary Ann Novels (omnibus) (2000)
1. A Grand Man (1954)
The Lord and Mary Ann (1956)
The Devil and Mary Ann (1958)
Love and Mary Ann (1961)
Life and Mary Ann (1962)
Marriage and Mary Ann (1964)
Mary Ann's Angels (1965)
Mary Ann and Bill (1967)
Mary Ann Omnibus (omnibus) (1981)
The Mary Ann Novels (omnibus) (2000)
Mallen Family
1. The Mallen Streak (1972)
2. The Mallen Girl (1973)
3. The Mallen Litter (1974)
aka The Mallen Lot
The Mallen Novels (omnibus) (1979)
Mallen Streak / Mallen Girl / Mallen Litter (omnibus) (1994)
The Mallen Streak Trilogy: Mallen Streak, Mallen Girl, Mallen Litter (omnibus) (1999)
1. The Mallen Streak (1972)
2. The Mallen Girl (1973)
3. The Mallen Litter (1974)
aka The Mallen Lot
The Mallen Novels (omnibus) (1979)
Mallen Streak / Mallen Girl / Mallen Litter (omnibus) (1994)
The Mallen Streak Trilogy: Mallen Streak, Mallen Girl, Mallen Litter (omnibus) (1999)
Tilly Trotter
1. Tilly Trotter (1980)
aka Tilly
2. Tilly Trotter Wed (1981)
aka Tilly Wed
3. Tilly Trotter Widowed (1982)
Tilly Alone (1982)
Tilly Trotter / Tilly Trotter Wed / Tilly Trotter Widowed (omnibus) (1993)
Tilly Trotter Omnibus (omnibus) (1999)
1. Tilly Trotter (1980)
aka Tilly
2. Tilly Trotter Wed (1981)
aka Tilly Wed
3. Tilly Trotter Widowed (1982)
Tilly Alone (1982)
Tilly Trotter / Tilly Trotter Wed / Tilly Trotter Widowed (omnibus) (1993)
Tilly Trotter Omnibus (omnibus) (1999)
Hamilton
1. Hamilton (1983)
2. Goodbye Hamilton (1984)
3. Harold (1985)
Hamilton Trilogy (omnibus) (1992)
The Hamiltons (omnibus) (2006)
1. Hamilton (1983)
2. Goodbye Hamilton (1984)
3. Harold (1985)
Hamilton Trilogy (omnibus) (1992)
The Hamiltons (omnibus) (2006)
Bailey Chronicles
1. Bill Bailey (1986)
2. Bill Bailey's Lot (1987)
3. Bill Bailey's Daughter (1988)
4. The Bondage of Love (1997)
The Bailey Chronicles (omnibus) (1989)
Bill Bailey: An Omnibus (omnibus) (1997)
1. Bill Bailey (1986)
2. Bill Bailey's Lot (1987)
3. Bill Bailey's Daughter (1988)
4. The Bondage of Love (1997)
The Bailey Chronicles (omnibus) (1989)
Bill Bailey: An Omnibus (omnibus) (1997)
Novels
Kate Hannigan (1950)
The Fifteen Streets (1952)
Colour Blind (1953)
Maggie Rowan (1954)
Rooney (1957)
The Menagerie (1958)
Fanny McBride (1959)
Slinky Jane (1959)
Fenwick Houses (1960)
The Garment (1962)
Heritage of Folly (1962) (as by Catherine Marchant)
The Blind Miller (1963)
The House of Men (1963) (as by Catherine Marchant)
The House On the Fens (1963) (as by Catherine Marchant)
aka The Fen Tiger
Hannah Massey (1964)
Evil At Roger's Cross (1965) (as by Catherine Marchant)
aka The Iron Facade
The Long Corridor (1965) (as by Catherine Marchant)
Matty Doolin (1965)
The Unbaited Trap (1966)
Katie Mulholland (1967)
Joe and the Gladiator (1968)
The Round Tower (1968)
The Glass Virgin (1969)
The Nice Bloke (1969)
The Invitation (1970)
The Nipper (1970)
The Dwelling Place (1971)
Feathers in the Fire (1971)
Pure as the Lily (1972)
Blue Baccy (1972)
Our John Willie (1974)
The Invisible Cord (1975)
Miss Martha Mary Crawford (1975) (as by Catherine Marchant)
The Gambling Man (1975)
The Slow Awakening (1976) (as by Catherine Marchant)
Mrs. Flannagan's Trumpet (1976)
The Tide of Life (1976)
The Girl (1977)
Go Tell It to Mrs. Golightly (1977)
The Cinder Path (1978)
The Man Who Cried (1979)
Lanky Jones (1980)
The Whip (1982)
The Black Velvet Gown (1984)
A Dinner of Herbs (1985)
The Bannaman Legacy (1985)
The Moth (1986)
aka The Thorman Inheritance
The Parson's Daughter (1987)
Rory's Fortune (1988)
The Harrogate Secret (1988)
The Cultured Handmaiden (1988)
The Spaniard's Gift (1989)
The Black Candle (1989)
The Wingless Bird (1990)
The Gillyvors (1990)
The Maltese Angel (1990)
My Beloved Son (1991)
Bill and the Mary Ann Shaughnessy (1991)
The Love Child (1991)
The Rag Nymph (1991)
The House of Women (1992)
The Year of the Virgins (1993)
The Golden Straw (1993)
Justice Is a Woman (1994)
The Tinker's Girl (1994)
A Ruthless Need (1995)
The Obsession (1995)
The Upstart (1996)
The Branded Man (1996)
The Bonny Dawn (1996)
The Desert Crop (1997)
The Lady on My Left (1997)
The Solace of Sin (1998)
Riley (1998)
The Blind Years (1998)
The Thursday Friend (1999)
A House Divided (1999)
Kate Hannigan's Girl (2000)
Rosie of the River (2000)
The Silent Lady (2001)
Saint Christopher and the Gravedigger (2017)
The Rag Maid (2017)
The Glassmaker's Daughter (2018)
The Fifteen Streets (1952)
Colour Blind (1953)
Maggie Rowan (1954)
Rooney (1957)
The Menagerie (1958)
Fanny McBride (1959)
Slinky Jane (1959)
Fenwick Houses (1960)
The Garment (1962)
Heritage of Folly (1962) (as by Catherine Marchant)
The Blind Miller (1963)
The House of Men (1963) (as by Catherine Marchant)
The House On the Fens (1963) (as by Catherine Marchant)
aka The Fen Tiger
Hannah Massey (1964)
Evil At Roger's Cross (1965) (as by Catherine Marchant)
aka The Iron Facade
The Long Corridor (1965) (as by Catherine Marchant)
Matty Doolin (1965)
The Unbaited Trap (1966)
Katie Mulholland (1967)
Joe and the Gladiator (1968)
The Round Tower (1968)
The Glass Virgin (1969)
The Nice Bloke (1969)
The Invitation (1970)
The Nipper (1970)
The Dwelling Place (1971)
Feathers in the Fire (1971)
Pure as the Lily (1972)
Blue Baccy (1972)
Our John Willie (1974)
The Invisible Cord (1975)
Miss Martha Mary Crawford (1975) (as by Catherine Marchant)
The Gambling Man (1975)
The Slow Awakening (1976) (as by Catherine Marchant)
Mrs. Flannagan's Trumpet (1976)
The Tide of Life (1976)
The Girl (1977)
Go Tell It to Mrs. Golightly (1977)
The Cinder Path (1978)
The Man Who Cried (1979)
Lanky Jones (1980)
The Whip (1982)
The Black Velvet Gown (1984)
A Dinner of Herbs (1985)
The Bannaman Legacy (1985)
The Moth (1986)
aka The Thorman Inheritance
The Parson's Daughter (1987)
Rory's Fortune (1988)
The Harrogate Secret (1988)
The Cultured Handmaiden (1988)
The Spaniard's Gift (1989)
The Black Candle (1989)
The Wingless Bird (1990)
The Gillyvors (1990)
The Maltese Angel (1990)
My Beloved Son (1991)
Bill and the Mary Ann Shaughnessy (1991)
The Love Child (1991)
The Rag Nymph (1991)
The House of Women (1992)
The Year of the Virgins (1993)
The Golden Straw (1993)
Justice Is a Woman (1994)
The Tinker's Girl (1994)
A Ruthless Need (1995)
The Obsession (1995)
The Upstart (1996)
The Branded Man (1996)
The Bonny Dawn (1996)
The Desert Crop (1997)
The Lady on My Left (1997)
The Solace of Sin (1998)
Riley (1998)
The Blind Years (1998)
The Thursday Friend (1999)
A House Divided (1999)
Kate Hannigan's Girl (2000)
Rosie of the River (2000)
The Silent Lady (2001)
Saint Christopher and the Gravedigger (2017)
The Rag Maid (2017)
The Glassmaker's Daughter (2018)
Omnibus
Great Historical Romances (1978) (with Georgette Heyer and Norah Lofts)
Matty Doolin/Joe and the Gladiator (1979)
Catherine Cookson Omnibus 1 (1993)
Three Complete Novels: The Love Child, the Maltese Angel, the Year of the Virgins (1996)
Rooney / The Nice Bloke (1998)
Hannah Massey / The Fifteen Streets (2018)
Matty Doolin/Joe and the Gladiator (1979)
Catherine Cookson Omnibus 1 (1993)
Three Complete Novels: The Love Child, the Maltese Angel, the Year of the Virgins (1996)
Rooney / The Nice Bloke (1998)
Hannah Massey / The Fifteen Streets (2018)
Collections
Picture Books
Non fiction
Our Kate (1969)
Catherine Cookson Country (1986)
Let Me Make Myself Plain (1988)
Plainer Still (1995)
Her Way (1996)
My Land of the North (1999)
Kate's Daughter (2003) (with Piers Dudgeon)
Before I Go (2017)
Catherine Cookson Country (1986)
Let Me Make Myself Plain (1988)
Plainer Still (1995)
Her Way (1996)
My Land of the North (1999)
Kate's Daughter (2003) (with Piers Dudgeon)
Before I Go (2017)
Books about Catherine Cookson
Catherine Cookson recommends
Kissing Shadows (1999)
Sally Stewart
"In reading Sally Stewart's work, I've found someone after my own heart - a real storyteller."
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