Author Jackie Collins dies after six-year battle with breast cancer

Celebrity author Jackie Collins has died, aged 77, after a quiet six-year battle with breast cancer.

“It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one of a kind mother, Jackie Collins, who died of breast cancer today,” read a statement from her three daughters – Tracy, 54, Tiffany, 48, and Rory, 46 – to People magazine.

“She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends and the millions of readers who she has been entertaining for over four decades,” continued the statement.

While not so seriously taken in the literature fraternity (ie her books were no War & Peace), Collins’ novels had been the inspiration to many – from the melodramatic telenovela to comedy sketches by the likes of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Critics often commented on how close to the shenanigans of her own family her earlier novels appeared to be – with their key character, Lucky Santangelo, seemingly inspired by sister actress, Joan Collins.

As much as the work of Jackie Collins was taken as ‘light reading’ or ‘celebrity schmaltz’, there was indeed a high level of empowerment in a lot of her female characters.

“She was a true inspiration, a trailblazer for women in fiction,” agreed her children. “She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words.”

In a final interview to a magazine this week, Jackie said, “I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say.”

Indeed what a tough way it was. So strong-willed was Collins, she refused to dwell on her illness and continued to write and publish novels right to the end. Only this year she published her 32nd novel, The Santangelos, recently included in Cream magazine’s A-Z of Things We Love Right Now.  Antonino Tati

Image courtesy of publishing house, Simon & Schuster.