Jilly Cooper has a new book :)

[Alouiseg]

It will be published in September and it's called "Jump"

I cannot wait

oh God of course you're right I need more coffee (and to do some work)

Thank you, I am such a pedant it has been bugging me for ages! I had the hardback of Rivals so maybe as you say the publishers made her change it by the time they produced the paperback.

I imagine there is a real Hon Bullingham who didn't want to be associated with such scurrilous activities!

(smug face to have won Gerof's agreement with the countryside description comment - and she got A* Jilly!)

Seriously, I learned so much about plants and stars from Jilly. Was entirely thanks to her descriptions of the 'sexy, rank smell of wild garlic' and 'soapy hawthorn' that I started to notice green stuff growing in ordinary-looking verges, and looking up to see if I could see Mars and Orion.

Her secondary characters are also just brilliantly drawn - even the most minor walk-on parts in the short novels. There's a shop assistant in Emily who rakes a midge bite with a long scarlet nail and says in a bored voice 'puce is very in this year,' and the fabulous Miss Billings the office crone who is ejected from the board meeting in Octavia, 'displaying the same sort of enraged reluctance as a cat shoved out in a rainstorm. Any minute now I expected her to appear at the window, mewing furiously.'
That still raises a smile whenever I think of it. So succinct, but so effective.

OOh that's probably it then, must be some chinless wonder who was offended by one of her characters.

We so need to e-mail this to Jilly - she could make a fab mumsnet novel

I met Jilly once many years ago as I used to work for her former agent. She is EXACTLY as you would think her to be which makes me love her books more (especially the Imogen/Prudence/Harriet etc. series).

The Bullingham name was changed due to the reasons you said,.........

My DH walked in the door last night, took one look at my newly opened package of goodies and said:

'Oh, I see. Fancied a bit of trash did you? That's not like you.'

I told him I had it on good authority that they were most certainly not trash - just populist fiction of the highest order. I felt quite affronted on behalf of all of you us.

I know what you mean about the 11 stone 'bulk' of Tory! And she's quite tall as well, poor girl!

But then being even a little bit fat is worthy of death by firing squad to the upper-middle classes.

Picked a REALLY bad week to start this - I've got a squillion people coming to stay this weekend, and a posh meal to plan/prep and cleaning and spare beds to make. Shit. I should never have joined this thread.

I am so delighted that Jilly seems as nice as I have always thought.

I bet she was a scream when she was younger as well. Her books about when she was newly married are so funny. I love that bit where she says that she and her her husband were having a row, he was just putting a pair of trousers on and got his leg caught and tumbled over, she roared with laughter and the argument was diffused, well that juat makes me love her.

I also met her, years ago when I worked in publishing. She was gorgeous. Warm and huggy and funny and friendly. None of us got any work done that day - we all stood around chatting to her for as long as we could. (Still have treasured signed copy of Polo .)

She is tiny, though - very small frame. So I suppose 11 stone would seem a lot to her (not to me, though ).

Am really tempted now to order all the novellas. Except there's nothing quite like steeping yourself in a 700-page Jilly ...

i love jilly cooper! i have the holy trinity, the same 3 paperbacks, since they were first out. they have moved with me to 7 different countries and 28 different houses. and i read them at least once every year. had no idea that other people loved her so much too. this is a totally cool thread

I love Jilly too and although I have not got my old copies any more, on the strength of Dittany liking her I think I just might order a new set

I always think about the great grey tits line when I BF my youngest. I think it's a fair description of me ...

lol me too balloonslayer I must admit I did worry a bit when FnD said I reminded her of Hilary in Riders as I thought it meant she had secret powers and could see me

I am more Hilary in RL but always wanted to be Cameron or Cable

Lol at great grey tits. When finished breastfeeding I always thought her epithet about triangular tits suited me

Isn't it wonderful that people who have met her loved her. I am so pleased.

I am also delighted that there are other people who have carted great big paperbacks all over - I utterly treasure my JCs - I still have the original Riders which I bought when I was 14. It's dog eared and about 8 of the last pages have gone, but I will not part with it.

Alicetheinvisible - i hold you entirely responsible for my sudden and unhealthy interest in jilly cooper

am supposed to be reading the damned united (god it is boring so far...4 pages in )for book group on tuesday...can we not have a jilly month instead???

omg having caught up with thread GetOrf i will be CATing you for a copy of your coursework as soon as i have finished all the jillys (so not any time soon then...) - would LOVE to read that!!! and expect the lady herself would be v impressed as well

Oh no I never ever got a copy of the coursework DAMMIT

I was all set to go back to school to do my A levels, however had a rotten old time of it (ran away from home) and never went back to school to collect my stuff.

The first i heard of my 100% result was when I went to a school prizegiving in the October and my thrilled english teacher told me. I think she saw it as a massive v sign to the po faced head of english that sometyhing written about a 'trashy' novel could score so highly.

I still haven't got my GCSE certs either.

I longed for years to write to the Northern Examination board to get a copy of teh coursework but life intruded.

Al the qualifications I got since - A levels, degree, MEng - none have compared to my english GCSE

MayorNaze

oooh GetOrf if you ever do get a copy (and please please do) can we all read it - bet we'd have a great time!

Lolling at Dittany and the "secret shame".

It's rather like terribly powerful men being taken to a torture chamber and being flogged while wearing a nappy

Just a Little bit of light relief from the task at hand.

alouiseq I LOVE YOU xx i am so so so sadly excited that she has written another book i have read all of hers and am far too excited about it!!! i read really fast and when i start a good book i cant put it down!!!

Now Lima, I never said it was you who reminded me of Hilary or should that be Thrilary

I always remember Rupert saying to Billy that sleeping with thrilary was like being starving, eating a pork pie then realising it was a month out of date...

Do you see how I am writing like I actually know these men...

Rupert's obviously a right charmer then?

Either that or Thrilary is a munter.
Which book are they in?