Author Fay Weldon – who wrote The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil – dies aged 91
Author and playwright Fay Weldon, who wrote The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil and screenplays for ITV’s Upstairs Downstairs, dies aged 91
- Fay Weldon, author of Life and Loves of a Devil, dies at 91
- The extensive work of the British writer includes more than 30 novels.
- Jenny Colgan led the tributes, calling Weldon ‘formidable, fierce and wonderful’
Author Fay Weldon, known for works like The Life and Loves of a Devil and Praxis, has died at the age of 91.
The novelist, playwright and screenwriter’s body of work includes more than 30 novels, as well as short stories and plays written for television, radio and stage, including the popular ITV drama Upstairs, Downstairs and the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
A family statement read: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Fay Weldon (CBE), author, essayist and playwright. She died peacefully this morning, January 4, 2023.’
The writer previously told her readers in a statement posted on her website that she had been admitted to hospital with a broken bone in her back and later with a stroke.
Author Fay Weldon dies at 91
Fay Weldon pictured with her son Nick Weldon and grandson Felix Weldon in 1998
A family statement read: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Fay Weldon (CBE), author, essayist and playwright. She died peacefully this morning January 4, 2023’
Author Jenny Colgan led the tributes, describing Weldon as “formidable and fierce and wonderful”.
Author Jenny Colgan led the tributes, describing Weldon as “formidable and fierce and wonderful”.
Born in Britain in September 1931, Weldon was raised in New Zealand, returning to the UK as a child. He then studied economics and psychology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and later received an honorary doctorate from the institution in 1990.
The novelist, playwright, and screenwriter’s work includes more than 30 novels, including The Life and Love of a Devil.
Weldon worked briefly for the Foreign Office in London and as a journalist before moving on to work as a copywriter.
She left this career to focus on her writing and published her first novel, The Fat Woman’s Joke, in 1967.
In addition to her prolific career as a novelist, she also wrote children’s books, nonfiction books, and newspaper articles.
She was also one of the writers of the popular drama series Upstairs, Downstairs, which ran from 1971 to 1975, receiving a Writers Guild of America award for the show’s first episode.
Much of her fiction explores themes related to women’s relationships with men, children, parents, and each other, including the novels Down Among The Women (1971) and Female Friends (1975).
His 1978 novel Praxis was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction, and he went on to chair the panel of judges for the prestigious award in 1983.
He published a memoir called Auto Da Fay in 2002 when he was 70 years old.
Weldon worked briefly for the Foreign Office in London and as a journalist before moving on to work as a copywriter. He left this career to focus on writing and published his first novel, The Fat Woman’s Joke, in 1967.
Weldon was also Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, retiring in 2021.
Marjorie Wallace and Fay Weldon at the Serpentine Gallery in 2006
Weldon was also Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, retiring in 2021.
After spending nine years teaching at the institution, she was granted Emeritus Professor status in recognition of her dedication to the university.
She was named a CBE for services to literature in the New Year’s Honors list in 2001.