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Josephine Cox

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Josephine Cox
Born
Josephine Brindle

15 July 1938
Died17 July 2020(2020-07-17) (aged 82)
Other namesJo Cox:
Jane Brindle
OccupationWriter
Spouse
Kenneth Cox
(m. 1956)
Children2
Websitejosephinecox.com

Josephine Cox, née Brindle (15 July 1938 – 17 July 2020),[1][2] also known as Jo Cox,[3] was an English author.[4] Her books were frequently bestsellers and the UK Public Lending Rights figures often listed her in the top three borrowed authors.[5][6]

Biography

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Cox was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, and was one of the 10 children of an alcoholic father.[2] In 1956, she married Kenneth Cox and they had two sons.[2] When her children were of school-age, she began college, and was offered a place at the University of Cambridge, but family commitments did not allow this.[2] She eventually became a teacher and wrote her first novel, Her Father’s Sins (published 1987), after her friend brought her paper and pens to keep her occupied while Cox was in hospital.[7]

Cox also wrote under the name Jane Brindle, her mother's name. Altogether she wrote more than 50 books.[8]

Her publisher, Harper Collins, announced Cox's death in 2020 at the age of 82. She was described as a prolific author who grew up in poverty and went on to sell millions of copies of her family dramas, totaling over 60 books, over a writing career that spanned more than three decades.[9]

Selected works

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  • The Beachcomber (2013), HarperCollins
  • The Broken Man (2013), HarperCollins
  • The Runaway Woman (2014), HarperCollins
  • Two Sisters (2020), HarperCollins

References

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  1. ^ "Novelist Josephine Cox dies aged 82". BBC News. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Josephine Cox, author who drew upon her tough upbringing to write a string of bestsellers – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 21 July 2020. Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Josephine Cox Get to Know Jo". Josephinecox.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  4. ^ Aspin, Jean (October 2007). "Josephine Cox". Authors. Fantastic Fiction.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Authors". HarperCollins UK. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  6. ^ Singh, Anita (11 February 2005). "Children's author tops most borrowed list again". The Independent.
  7. ^ Flood, Alison (20 July 2020). "Josephine Cox, bestselling novelist of family sagas, dies at 82". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  8. ^ Vucicevic, Ajda (24 January 2014). "LBA author Jo Cox invited to appear on Desert Island Discs". LBA Books. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  9. ^ Flood, Alison (20 July 2020). "Josephine Cox, bestselling novelist of family sagas, dies at 82". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
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