Jackie Collins

Profession: Romance Novelist

Nationality:

Biography: Jackie Collins was a British novelist known for her romance novels centered on the lifestyles of the rich and famous. With over 500 million copies of her books sold internationally, she was one of the world's best-selling writers.

Starting her career in the arts, Jackie Collins ventured into acting with minor roles in British films. Finding her passion in writing, however, she eventually published her first novel The World Is Full of Married Men (1968), which would be banned in several countries. This controversy helped propel her into the spotlight, and she continued with works like The Stud (1969) and Sinners (1971).

Moving to Los Angeles, Collins entered into the environment that would inspire her biggest hit, Hollywood Wives (1983). Following this success, she introduced one of her most enduring characters, Lucky Santangelo, in Chances (1981). Collins's novels were also adapted for this screen as films and television series.

Jackie Collins had two relationships that ended in the deaths of her partners, husband Oscar Lerman and fiancé Frank Calcagnini. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013 and continued to write, with her last novel, The Santangelos (2015), being released shortly before her death from breast cancer—a battle she kept private.

Born: October 4, 1937
Birthplace: London, England, United Kingdom

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Ox
Star Sign: Libra

Died: September 19, 2015 (aged 77)
Cause of Death: Breast cancer