Josephine Cox

Born in Blackburn as one of ten children, Cox used to charge her childhood friends a penny for every story that she told them. After having a family of her own, she secured a place at Cambridge University but was unable to take it up as it would have meant living away from home.

Cox won the Superwoman of Great Britain award at the same time as her first book was accepted for publication, and she went on to pen over sixty novels, mostly expansive family sagas. According to the UK Public Lending Rights figures, Cox is one of the top three most borrowed authors from British libraries.