Dame Catherine Ann Cookson, DBE (''née'' McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998) was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile in the world of celebrity writers. Her books were inspired by her deprived youth in

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...

(historically part of

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

), North East England, the setting for her novels. With 104 titles written in her own name or two other

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

s, she is one of the most prolific British novelists.

Early life

Cookson, registered as Catherine Ann Davies, was born on 20 June 1906 at 5 Leam Lane in Tyne Dock,

, England. She was known as "Katie" as a child. She moved to East Jarrow, which would become the setting for one of her best-known novels, ''The Fifteen Streets''. The illegitimate child of an

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

named Kate Fawcett, she grew up thinking her unmarried mother was her sister, as she was brought up by her grandparents, Rose and John McMullen. Biographer Kathleen Jones tracked down her father, whose name was Alexander Davies, a bigamist and gambler from

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

, Scotland. She left school at 14 and, after a period of domestic service, took a

laundry Laundry refers to the washing of clothing and other textiles, and, more broadly, their drying and ironing as well. Laundry has been part of history since humans began to wear clothes, so the methods by which different cultures have dealt with ...

job at Harton

Workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...

in South Shields. In 1929, she moved south to run the laundry at

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

Workhouse, saving every penny to buy a large Victorian house, and then taking in lodgers to supplement her income. In June 1940, at the age of 34, she married Tom Cookson, a teacher at

Hastings Grammar School Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

. After experiencing four

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemica ...

s late in pregnancy, it was discovered she was suffering from a rare

vascular The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away f ...

disease,

telangiectasia Telangiectasias, also known as spider veins, are small dilated blood vessels that can occur near the surface of the skin or mucous membranes, measuring between 0.5 and 1 millimeter in diameter. These dilated blood vessels can develop anywhere on ...

, which causes bleeding from the nose, fingers and stomach and results in

anaemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, th ...

. A

mental breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

followed the miscarriages, from which it took her a decade to recover.

Writing career

She took up writing as a form of therapy, in order to tackle her depression, and became a founding member of Hastings Writers' Group. Her first novel, ''Kate Hannigan'', was published in 1950. Though it was labelled a romance, she expressed discontent with the stereotype. Her books were, she said,

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

s about people and conditions she knew. Cookson had little connection with the London literary circus. She was always more interested in practising the art of writing. Her research could be uncomfortable—going down a mine, for instance, because her heroine came from a mining area. Having in her youth wanted to write about 'above stairs' in grand houses, she later and successfully concentrated on people ground down by circumstances, taking care to know them well. Cookson wrote almost 100 books, which sold more than 123 million copies, her novels being translated into at least 20 languages. She also wrote books under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

s Catherine Marchant and a name derived from her childhood name, Katie McMullen. She remained the most borrowed author from

public libraries A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamen ...

in the UK for 17 years, up until four years after her death, losing the top spot to Jacqueline Wilson only in 2002.

Books in film, television and on stage

Many of Cookson's novels have been adapted for film, radio, and the stage. The first film adaptation of her work was ''

Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

'' (1956), directed by Roy Ward Baker, based on her book ''A Grand Man''. It was followed by '' Rooney'' (1958), directed by George Pollock, based on her book ''Rooney''. Both starred John Gregson. For commercial reasons, the action of both films was transferred from South Shields to Ireland. In 1983 '' Katie Mulholland'' was adapted into a stage musical by composer Eric Boswell and writer-director Ken Hill. Cookson attended the première. It was on television, however, that she had her greatest media success, with a series of dramas that appeared over the course of a decade on ITV and achieved huge ratings. Eighteen books were adapted for television between 1989 and 2001. They were all produced by Ray Marshall from Festival Film & TV who was given permission by Cookson in 1988 to bring her works to the screen. The first film to be made, ''The Fifteen Streets'' starring

Sean Bean Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a theatre production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983. Retaining his Yorkshire ac ...

and Owen Teale, was nominated for an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

award in 1990. The second production, ''

The Black Velvet Gown ''The Black Velvet Gown'' is a 1991 ITV television film, based on the 1984 novel by Catherine Cookson, and starring Janet McTeer, Geraldine Somerville, and Bob Peck. It won an International Emmy for Best Drama.http://festivalfilm.com/collecti ...

'', won an International

for Best Drama in 1991. The mini series regularly attracted audiences over 10 million and are still showing in the UK on Drama and the Yesterday Channel.

Philanthropy

In 1985, she pledged more than £800,000 to the University of Newcastle. In gratitude, the university set up a lectureship in

hematology Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...

. Some £40,000 was given to provide a laser to help treat bleeding disorders and £50,000 went to create a new post in ear, nose and throat studies, with particular reference to the detection of

deafness Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

in children. She had already given £20,000 towards the university's

Hatton Gallery The Hatton Gallery is Newcastle University's art gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is based in the University's Fine Art Building. The Hatton Gallery briefly closed in February 2016 for a £3.8 million redevelopment and reopened in ...

and £32,000 to its library. In recognition of this generosity, a building in the university medical faculty has been named after her. Her foundation continues to make donations to worthy causes in the UK, particularly those offering services to young people and cultural ventures, such as the

Tyneside Cinema The Tyneside Cinema is an independent cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the city's only full-time independent cultural cinema, specialising in the screening of independent and world cinema from across the globe. The last remaining Newsreel ...

Honours

She was created an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in 1985 and was elevated to

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in 1993. Cookson received the Freedom of the Borough of

South Tyneside South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, North East England. It is bordered by all four other boroughs in Tyne and Wear – Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, North Tyneside to the no ...

, and an

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...

from the University of Newcastle. The Variety Club of Great Britain named her Writer of the Year, and she was voted Personality of the North East. She was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1982 when she was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

Later life and death

In later life, Cookson and her husband Tom returned to the North East and settled first in Haldane Terrace,

Jesmond Jesmond is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, situated to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher average house prices than most other areas of the city. H ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

. They then moved to

Corbridge Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, west of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages nearby include Halton, Northumberland, Halton, Acomb, Northumberland, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe. Etymology Corbridge was kno ...

, a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

near Newcastle, and later to Langley, Northumberland, a small village nearby. As her health declined, they moved for a final time, back to Jesmond in 1989 to be nearer to medical facilities. For the last few years of her life, she was bed-ridden and she gave her final TV interview to North East Tonight, the regional

ITV Tyne Tees ITV Tyne Tees, previously known as Tyne Tees, Channel 3 North East and Tyne Tees Television, is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. Tyne Tees launched on 15 January 1959 from studios at a converte ...

news programme, from her sickbed. It was conducted by Mike Neville. Cookson died at the age of 91, sixteen days before her 92nd birthday, at her home in Newcastle. Her novels, many written from her sickbed, continued to be published posthumously until 2002. Her husband Tom died just 17 days later, on 28 June 1998. He had been

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergen ...

ised for a week and the cause of his death was not announced. He was 86 years old.

Legacy

In 1992 the inaugural Catherine Cookson Prize took place and was won by author Val Wood and her debut novel, The Hungry Tide, which subsequently went on to become a best-seller. In March 2008, the Dame Catherine Cookson Memorial Garden was unveiled in the grounds of South Tyneside District Hospital in South Shields, based on the theme of a serpentine symbol, commonly used to symbolise health and caring. The hospital occupies the site of the Harton Workhouse, where Cookson worked from 1924 to 1929. The project was partly funded by the Catherine Cookson Trust. ''Tom and Catherine'', a musical about the couple's life, was written by local playwright Tom Kelly. It played to sell-out crowds at the

Customs House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

in South Shields.

Portrayals in fiction

Cookson was portrayed by actress Kerry Browne in the 2018 award-winning film '' Our Catherine'', co-written by Tom Kelly.

Bibliography

Written as Catherine Cookson

* ''The Fifteen Streets'' (1952) * ''Colour Blind'' (1953) * ''Maggie Rowan'' (1954) * ''Rooney'' (1957) * ''The Menagerie'' (1958) * ''Fanny McBride'' (1959) * ''Fenwick Houses'' (1960) * ''The Garment'' (1962) * ''The Blind Miller'' (1963) * ''The Wingless Bird'' (1964) * ''Hannah Massey'' (1964) * ''The Mists of Memory'' (1965) * ''The Long Corridor'' (1965) * ''Matty Doolin'' (1965) * ''The Unbaited Trap'' (1966) * ''Slinky Jane'' (1967) * ''Katie Mulholland'' (1967) * ''The Round Tower'' (1968) * ''The Nice Bloke'' (1969) aka ''The Husband'' (1969) * ''The Glass Virgin'' (1969) * ''The Invitation'' (1970) * ''The Dwelling Place'' (1971) * ''Feathers in the Fire'' (1971) * ''Pure as the Lily'' (1972) * ''The Invisible Cord'' (1975) * ''The Gambling Man'' (1975) * ''The Tide of Life'' (1976) * ''The Girl'' (1977) * '' The Cinder Path'' (1978) * ''The Man Who Cried'' (1979) * ''The Whip'' (1983) aka ''The Spaniard's Gift'' (1989) * ''The Black Velvet Gown'' (1984) * ''The Bannaman Legacy'' (1985) aka ''A Dinner of Herbs'' (1985) * ''The Moth'' (1986) a.k.a. ''The Thorman Inheritance'' (1989) * ''The Parson's Daughter'' (1987) * ''The Harrogate Secret'' (1988) aka ''The Secret'' aka ''The Smuggler's Secret'' * ''The Cultured Handmaiden'' (1988) * ''The Spaniard's Gift'' (1989) aka ''The Whip'' (1983) * ''The Black Candle'' (1989) * ''The Thorman Inheritance'' (1989) aka ''The Moth'' (1986) * ''The Gillyvors'' (1990) aka ''The Love Child'' (1991) * ''My Beloved Son'' (1991) * '' The Rag Nymph'' (1991) aka ''The Forester Girl'' (1993) * ''The House of Women'' (1992) * ''The Maltese Angel'' (1992) * ''The Golden Straw'' (1993) * ''The Forester Girl'' (1993) aka ''The Rag Nymph'' (1991) * ''The Year of the Virgins'' (1993) * ''The Tinker's Girl'' (1994) * ''Justice Is a Woman'' (1994) * ''A Ruthless Need'' (1995) * ''The Bonny Dawn'' (1996) * ''The Branded Man'' (1996) * ''The Lady on my Left'' (1997) * ''The Obsession'' (1997) * ''The Upstart'' (1998) * ''The Blind Years'' (1998) * ''Riley'' (1998) * ''Solace of Sin'' (1998) * ''The Desert Crop'' (1999) * ''The Thursday Friend'' (1999) * ''My Land of the North'' (1999) * ''A House Divided'' (2000) * ''Rosie of the River'' (2000) * ''The Simple Soul and Other Stories'' (2001) * ''The Silent Lady'' (2002)

The Kate Hannigan series

* ''Kate Hannigan'' (1950) * ''Kate Hannigan's Girl'' (2001)

The Mary Ann stories

* ''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)

The Mallen Novels

* ''The Mallen Streak'' (1973) * ''The Mallen Girl'' (1974) * ''The Mallen Litter'' (1974)

The Tilly Trotter trilogy

* ''Tilly Trotter'' aka ''Tilly'' (1980) * ''Tilly Trotter Wed'' aka ''Tilly Wed'' (1981) * ''Tilly Trotter Widowed'' aka ''Tilly Alone'' (1982)

The Hamilton series

* ''Hamilton'' (1983) * ''Goodbye Hamilton'' (1984) * ''Harold'' (1985)

The Bill Bailey trilogy

* ''Bill Bailey'' (1986) * ''Bill Bailey's Lot'' (1987) aka ''Bill Bailey's Litter'' * ''Bill Bailey's Daughter'' (1988) * ''The Bondage of Love'' (1997)

Children's stories

* ''Joe and the Gladiator'' (1968) * ''The Nipper'' (1970) * ''Blue Baccy'' (1972) aka ''Rory's Fortune'' (1988) * ''Our John Willie'' (1974) * ''Mrs Flannagan's Trumpet'' (1976) * ''Go Tell It to Mrs Golightly'' (1977) * ''Lanky Jones'' (1981) * ''Nancy Nutall and the Mongrel'' (1982) * ''Rory's Fortune'' (1988) aka ''Blue Baccy'' (1972) * ''Bill and The Mary Ann Shaughnessy'' (1991)

Autobiographies

* ''Our Kate'' (1969) * ''Catherine Cookson Country'' (1986) aka ''My Land of the North'' (1999) * ''Let Me Make Myself Plain'' (1988) * ''Plainer Still'' (1995) * ''Just A Saying'' (2002)

Written as Catherine Marchant

* ''Heritage of Folly'' (1961) aka ''Heritage of Folly'' (1961) by Katie McMullen * ''The Fen Tiger'' (1963) aka ''The House on the Fens'' (1963) * ''House of Men'' (1963) * ''The Mists of Memory'' (1965) aka ''The Lady on my Left'' (1997) by Catherine Cookson * ''The Iron Facade'' (1965) aka ''Evil at Rodgers Cross'' (1965) * ''Miss Martha Mary Crawford'' (1975) * ''The Slow Awakening'' (1976)

Written as Katie McMullen

* ''Heritage of Folly'' (1961) aka ''Heritage of Folly'' (1961) by Catherine Marchant

Biographies

* ''To Be a Lady: Biography of Catherine Cookson'' by Cliff Goodwin (1994) * ''The Girl From Leam Lane: The Life and Writing of Catherine Cookson'' by Piers Dudgeon (1997) * ''Catherine Cookson'' by Kathleen Jones (1999) * ''Kate's Daughter: The Real Catherine Cookson'' by Piers Dudgeon (2003) * ''Seeking Catherine Cookson's Da'' by Kathleen Jones (2004)

Documentary

* ''The Storyteller'' (1999) narrated by Mike Neville

Books in film and television

All titles from ''The Mallens'' onwards have been released on DVD in the UK and various other countries. * ''Jacqueline'' (1956) adaptation of ''A Grand Man'' with John Gregson, Kathleen Ryan, Noel Purcell and

Cyril Cusack Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland’s finest thespians, and was renowned for his in ...

* ''Rooney'' (1958) with John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow,

Barry Fitzgerald William Joseph Shields (10 March 1888 – 14 January 1961), known professionally as Barry Fitzgerald, was an Irish stage, film and television actor. In a career spanning almost forty years, he appeared in such notable films as ''Bringing Up Ba ...

and June Thorburn * ''Joe and the Gladiator'' (1971) with

James Garbutt James Garbutt (12 September 1925 – 6 April 2020) was a British actor who was active on television from the 1960s. Born in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham in 1925, James was an RAF pilot and was trained in the United States and stationed i ...

Malcolm Terris Malcolm Hope Terris (11 January 1941 – 6 June 2020) was an English actor. He acted in many television programmes, including possibly his best-known role as Matt Headley in '' When the Boat Comes In'', a popular 1970s series. His film career ...

and John Cazabon * ''Romance: House of Men'' (1977) with

Michael Kitchen Michael Roy Kitchen (born 31 October 1948) is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama ''Foyle's War'', which comprised eight series betw ...

James Laurenson James Laurenson (born 17 February 1940) is a New Zealand stage and screen actor. Early life Laurenson was born in Marton, North Island, New Zealand. He was a student at Canterbury University College in Christchurch (now University of Canter ...

, Alun Armstrong and

Joe Gladwin Joseph Gladwin (22 January 1906 – 11 March 1987) was an English actor, best known for his roles as Fred Jackson in Coronation Street, Stan Hardman in Nearest and Dearest, and Wally Batty in the world's longest-running sitcom, ''Last of the ...

* ''Our John Willie'' (1980) with

Ian Cullen George Ian Cullen (20 October 1939 – 12 November 2019) was a British actor. Cullen first became interested in acting when appearing in a pantomime aged four (late 1943). He trained at RADA with a scholarship when he was 16. An early televis ...

, David Burke,

John Malcolm Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian. Early life Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of ...

and

* ''

The Mallens ''The Mallens'' was a popular Granada Television adaptation of Catherine Cookson novels that ran for 13 episodes from 10 June 1979 to 3 July 1980. The series is based on ''The Mallen Streak'', ''The Mallen Girls'', and ''The Mallen Secret'' an ...

'' (1979–1980) with

John Hallam John William Francis Hallam (28 October 1941 – 14 November 2006) was a British character actor, who frequently played hard men or military types. Early life John Hallam was born, the son of a superintendent at London Docklands, in 19 ...

, John Duttine, David Rintoul and Juliet Stevenson * ''The Fifteen Streets'' (1989) with

, Owen Teale,

Clare Holman Clare Margaret Holman (born 12 January 1964) is an English actress. She portrayed forensic pathologist Dr. Laura Hobson in the crime drama series ''Inspector Morse'' and its spin-off ''Lewis'' from 1995 to 2015. Career Holman started her act ...

and

Jane Horrocks Barbara Jane Horrocks (born 18 January 1964) is a British actress. She portrayed the roles of Bubble and Katy Grin in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous''. She was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the title role in th ...

* ''

'' (1991) with

Janet McTeer Janet McTeer (born 5 August 1961"Ms Janet McTeer, OBE"
. ''Derbrett's P ...

Bob Peck Robert Peck (23 August 1945 – 4 April 1999) was an English actor who played Ronald Craven in the television serial ''Edge of Darkness'', for which he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He was also known for his role as game warden Robe ...

Geraldine Somerville Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville (born 19 May 1967) is an Irish actress. She is known for her roles in the film '' Gosford Park'' (2001) and the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2001–2011). Her other roles have included '' My Week with Mari ...

won the

International Emmy The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based International Academy of Television Arts and Sci ...

award for best drama. * ''The Black Candle'' (1991) with

Nathaniel Parker Nathaniel Parker (born 18 May 1962) is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series '' The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'', and Agravaine de Bois in the fourth series of ''Merlin''. Early life N ...

and Samantha Bond * ''The Man Who Cried'' (1993) with

Ciarán Hinds Ciarán Hinds (; born 9 February 1953) is an Irish actor. Born in Belfast, Hinds is known for a range of screen and stage roles. He has starred in feature films including '' The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'' (1989), '' Persuasion'' (1 ...

and Amanda Root * '' The Cinder Path'' (1994) with

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed ...

* ''The Dwelling Place'' (1994) with Tracy Whitwell,

Julie Hesmondhalgh Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh (born 25 February 1970) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role, she won Best Serial Drama Perf ...

and Ray Stevenson * '' The Glass Virgin'' (1995) with

Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers (born 6 November 1951) is an English actor. His film roles include Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film ''Chariots of Fire'', which earned him a BAFTA nomination; as Dr. Rawlins in the 1987 Steven Spielberg war dram ...

Emily Mortimer Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British-American actress. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performanc ...

and

Brendan Coyle David "Brendan" Coyle (born 2 December 1962) is an English-Irish actor. He won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for '' The Weir'' in 1999. He also played Nicholas Higgins in the miniseries '' North & South'', Robert ...

* ''

The Gambling Man ''The Gambling Man'' is a British three-part television serial, or long TV movie, first broadcast in 1995, starring Robson Green, directed by Norman Stone, based on a novel by Catherine Cookson. Outline Rory Connor ( Robson Green) is a rent- ...

'' (1995) with Robson Green * ''The Tide of Life'' (1996) with Gillian Kearney, John Bowler, Ray Stevenson and

James Purefoy James Brian Mark Purefoy (born 3 June 1964) is an English actor. He played Mark Antony in the HBO series ''Rome'', Nick Jenkins in ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll in the series ''The Followin ...

* ''The Girl'' (1996) with

Jonathan Cake Jonathan James Cake (born 31 August 1967) is an English actor who has worked on various TV programmes and films. His notable screen roles include Jack Favell in '' Rebecca'' (1997), Oswald Mosley in '' Mosley'' (1997), Japheth in the NBC telev ...

, Malcolm Stoddard,

Jill Baker Jill Baker (born 1952) is a British actress who has worked extensively in theatre and television for 50 years. Personal life Baker is a graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She and actor Bob Peck were married for 17 years, from 19 ...

and Siobhan Flynn * ''The Wingless Bird'' (1997) with Claire Skinner,

Anne Reid Anne Reid, MBE (born 28 May 1935) is a British stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1961–1971); Jean in the sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000); and her role ...

and Julian Wadham * ''The Rag Nymph'' (1997) with

Honeysuckle Weeks Honeysuckle Susan Weeks (born 1 August 1979) is a British actress best known for her role as Samantha Stewart (later Wainwright) in the ITV wartime drama series ''Foyle's War''. Early life Weeks was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Robin and Susan ...

Alec Newman Alec Newman (born 27 November 1974) is a Scottish actor best known for portraying Paul Atreides in the Sci Fi Channel's 2000 miniseries adaptation of Frank Herbert's ''Dune''. Early life Newman was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father is Sa ...

and

Val McLane Val McLane (born Valerie Bradford25 February 1943 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English actress, scriptwriter, director and teacher. Her younger brother is actor and musician Jimmy Nail. McLane founded the Live Theatre Compan ...

* ''The Moth'' (1997) with Jack Davenport, Juliet Aubrey and

Justine Waddell Justine Waddell (born 4 November 1975) is a South African-British former actress. She played roles in the 2006 film '' The Fall'' and 2005 film ''Chaos'' as well as Tess in the 1998 LWT adaptation of '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' and Estella ...

* ''The Round Tower'' (1998) with

Emilia Fox Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox (born 31 July 1974) is an English actress and presenter whose film debut was in Roman Polanski's film '' The Pianist''. Her other films include the Italian–French–British romance-drama film '' The Soul Keeper'' ( ...

Ben Miles Benjamin Charles Miles (born 29 September 1966) is an English actor, best known for his starring role as Patrick Maitland in the television comedy ''Coupling'', from 2000 to 2004, as Montague Dartie in ''The Forsyte Saga'', from 2002 to 2003, a ...

and

Denis Lawson Denis Stamper Lawson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of '' Bleak House'', as Gordon Urquhart in the film '' Local Hero'', as Retired DI Steve McAndr ...

* ''Colour Blind'' (1998) with Niamh Cusack, Tony Armatrading,

Art Malik Athar ul-Haque Malik (born 13 November 1952), known professionally as Art Malik, is a Pakistani-born British actor who achieved international fame in the 1980s through his starring and subsidiary roles in assorted British and Merchant Ivory tel ...

, Dearbhla Molloy, and Carmen Ejogo * ''Tilly Trotter'' (1999) with

Carli Norris Carli Jo Norris (born 23 June 1974) is an English actress, known for her roles as Anoushka Flynn in '' Doctors'', Martha Kane in ''Hollyoaks'' and taking over the role of Belinda Peacock in ''EastEnders''. Career In June 1997, just before off ...

, Beth Goddard,

Sarah Alexander Sarah Alexander (''née'' Smith; 3 January 1971) is an English actress. She has appeared in British series including '' Armstrong and Miller'', ''Smack the Pony'', ''Coupling'', '' The Worst Week of My Life'', ''Green Wing'', '' Marley's Ghost ...

Amelia Bullmore Amelia Mary Bullmore (born 31 January 1964) is an English actress, screenwriter and playwright. She is known for her roles in ''Coronation Street'' (1990–1992), ''I'm Alan Partridge'' (2002), '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2009), '' Twenty Twelve ...

Rosemary Leach Rosemary Anne Leach (18 December 1935 – 21 October 2017) was a British stage, television and film actress. She won the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for ''84, Charing Cross Road'' and was nominated for the BAFTA Award fo ...

and

Simon Shepherd Simon Stephen Shepherd (born 20 August 1956) is an English actor best known to TV audiences from many appearances, including as Dr Will Preston in eight series of ITV's ''Peak Practice'' and Doctor Jonathan Barling in ''Casualty''. Shepherd ...

* ''A Dinner of Herbs'' (2000) with

Jonathan Kerrigan Jonathan Kerrigan (born 14 October 1972) is an English actor well known for various leading roles on TV including '' In The Club'', ''Casualty'', '' Heartbeat'', ''Merseybeat, The Five'' and ''Reach For The Moon''. Films include '' Diana'', ''FL ...

Melanie Clark Pullen Melanie Clark Pullen (2 July 1975 – 29 March 2022) was an Irish actress, film producer and writer. Career Born and raised in Ireland, Clark Pullen attended Newpark Comprehensive School and then studied drama at Trinity College, Dublin. Shortl ...

, Debra Stephenson, David Threlfall and

Billie Whitelaw Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was a ...

* ''The Secret'' (2000) with Colin Buchanan,

Hannah Yelland Hannah Yelland (born 1976) is a British-born actress now living and working in the United States. Early life Hannah Yelland was born in Hammersmith, west London, and brought up in Richmond, Surbiton and East Molesey. She is the daughter of Brit ...

, Elizabeth Carling, Clare Higgins, and

Stephen Moyer Stephen Moyer (born Stephen John Emery; 11 October 1969) is an English film and television actor who is best known as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series '' True Blood''. His first television role was in 1993 as Philip Masefield in the TV ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cookson, Catherine 1906 births 1998 deaths 20th-century British novelists 20th-century British women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers British Book Award winners British historical novelists British people of Scottish descent British women novelists Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire People from Corbridge Writers from Northumberland People from South Shields Writers from Tyne and Wear Pseudonymous women writers Women historical novelists