Eleanor Alice Burford
Eleanor Alice Hibbert (née Burford; 1 September 1906 – 18 January 1993) was an English writer of historical romances. She was a prolific writer who published several books a year in different literary genres, each genre under a different pen name: Jean Plaidy for fictionalized history of European royalty and the three volumes of her history of the Spanish Inquisition, Victoria Holt for gothic romances, and Philippa Carr for a multi-generational family saga. She also wrote light romances, crime novels, murder mysteries and thrillers under pseudonyms Eleanor Burford, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Anna Percival, and Ellalice Tate.
Eleanor Alice Burford | |
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| Born | Eleanor Alice Burford 1 September 1906 Canning Town, London, England |
| Died | 18 January 1993 (aged 86) At sea between Athens, Greece, and Port Said, Egypt |
| Pen name | Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr, Eleanor Burford, Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow, Ellalice Tate, Anna Percival |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | English |
| Citizenship | British |
| Period | 1941–1993 (52 years) |
| Genre | Historical fiction, Gothic fiction, Romantic fiction |
| Notable awards | Romance Writers of America – Golden Treasure award 1989 Significant contribution to the romance genre |
| Spouse | George Percival Hibbert |
| Relatives |
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Literature portal | |
In 1989, the Romance Writers of America gave her the Golden Treasure award in recognition of her contributions to the romance genre. By the time of her death, she had written more than 200 books that sold more than 100 million copies and had been translated into 20 languages. She continues to be a widely borrowed author among British libraries.