Jilly Cooper's Putney Inspiration Remembered

Bestselling novelist described her decade in the area as her most formative

Jilly Cooper in 1974 when she was living in Putney. Picture: Allan Warren

October 9, 2025

Dame Jilly Cooper, the beloved author whose novels brought wit, warmth and scandal to the British literary landscape, has died at the age of 88 following a fall at her home. Known for her bestselling Rutshire Chronicles and her unapologetically joyful embrace of romance and mischief, she leaves behind a legacy of storytelling that spanned more than five decades.

While her name became synonymous with the fictional Cotswolds county of Rutshire—home to the rakish Rupert Campbell-Black and a cast of lusty, upper-middle-class eccentrics, Jilly Cooper’s literary roots were firmly planted in Putney. From 1972 to 1982, she lived in a house overlooking Putney Common, a decade she later described as the most formative of her writing life.

Putney was more than a residence; it was her daily classroom and social laboratory. She walked the Common every morning and evening, observing the changing seasons and the colourful cast of local characters. These walks, often chaotic and full of encounters with friends and detractors alike, became the basis for her 1983 memoir The Common Years, which she called her favourite book. In it, she documented not just the landscape but the rhythms of community life, blending sharp observation with affection and humour.

During her Putney years, she also wrote a celebrated column for The Sunday Times Magazine, chronicling the trials of marriage, housework, and sex with a candour that was revolutionary for its time. Her voice—bawdy, self-deprecating, and emotionally intelligent—resonated with readers across the country and laid the groundwork for her later novels.

Though she eventually moved to Gloucestershire, the writer remained fond of Putney, often recalling its blend of urban energy and pastoral calm. “I loved London,” she once said, “but I used to cry because I missed the countryside. Putney was the perfect compromise.”

Her children, Felix and Emily, described her as “the shining light in all of our lives,” and tributes have poured in from across the literary and broadcasting worlds. A private funeral will be held, with a public thanksgiving service planned at Southwark Cathedral later this year.