Catherine Cookson

Dame Catherine Cookson DBE
Born	Catherine Ann McMullen (1906-06-20)20 June 1906 South Shields, County Durham, England
Died	11 June 1998(1998-06-11) (aged 91) Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Pen name	Catherine Cookson Catherine Marchant Katie McMullen
Occupation	Novelist
Period	1950–1998
Spouse	Tom Cookson ​ (m. 1940)​

Dame Catherine Ann Cookson, DBE (née McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998), was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while she retained a relatively low profile in the world of celebrity writers. Her books were inspired by her deprived youth in South Shields (historically part of County Durham), North East England, the setting for her novels. With 104 titles written in her own name or two other pen names, she is one of the most prolific British novelists.