My mother’s favorite novelist is Catherine Cookson. After I read a few of her books and watched movies based on them I became a fan too. Her characters seemed so real and no wonder–her books were inspired by her deprived youth in North East deEngland, the setting for her novels.
Catherine’s story is as intriguing as the stories she wrote. She was the illegitimate child of an alcoholic named Kate Fawcett, she grew up thinking her unmarried mother was her sister, as she was raised by her grandparents, Rose and John McMullen. She married Tom Cookson, a teacher. Tragically, she suffered four miscarriages and had a mental breakdown. It took her ten years to recover. She also suffered from a rare vascular disease, telangiectasia, which causes bleeding from the nose, fingers and stomach and results in anemia.
Catherine took up writing as a form of therapy to tackle her depression, and joined Hastings Writers’ Group. Her first novel, Kate Hannigan, was published in 1950. She became the United Kingdom’s most widely read novelist, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile in the world of celebrity writers. She remained the most borrowed author from public libraries in the UK for 17 years, only losing the title in 2002, four years after her death.
Thanks to her craft Catherine became a multi-millionnaire. She supported causes in North East England and medical research in areas that were close to her heart. She also donated more than £1 million for research into a cure for the illness that afflicted her (Wikipedia).
With affluence Catherine concentrated on philanthropic activities to support the less fortunate. Catherine Cookson created a trust at the University of Newcastle with a committed amount of £ 800,000. The self titled Trust is dedicated towards the progress and research in the field of medical sciences and provides medical support to the underprivileged. Besides this Catherine Cookson also contributed £20,000 for the Hatton Gallery of the University and £32,000 for it’s library (http://www.catherinecookson.net/).
Despite the challenges and tragedies in her life, Catherine Cookson reached out to help others by using the money she made from the sales of her books. The plight of the less fortunate and the underprivileged moved her to do something to make life easier for them.
Writing helped Catherine to get through her dark hours. It is my hope and prayer that if you are going through something, that you will find the help you need to cope.
Notes to Women 