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EILEEN Jackson, who died in
Ayr Hospital on Boxing Day, will be
remembered by many of the writing fraternity
in Ayrshire as a successful author, a
sympathetic listener and a patient tutor. As
past President of the Ayr Writers’ Club,
long serving President of Strathclyde
Writers and a passionate supporter of the
Scottish Association of Writers, Eileen
retired from active writing some years ago
but leaves a legacy of over twenty novels.
Having written short stories
for the confession market for many years,
Eileen was in her late forties before she
turned to novel writing and first had her
talent recognised by being published in
America. |
It was towards the end
of the 1970s, when she was taken up by the London
literary agent Gerald Pollinger, that her career
blossomed in the UK and then worldwide. Bringing up and
caring for her family did not stop Eileen from finding
the time to write each and every day – a routine she
urged upon young writers whenever asked to speak or
comment upon a writer’s life. She was a very versatile
author, and wrote for a variety of markets - from dark
Victorian mysteries to swashbuckling pirate adventures,
and from Mills & Boon modern romances to tales of
Regency elegance quivering with emotional turmoil.
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Towards the end of her
career, Eileen tackled the big book, the
family saga, and produced six novels for
Hodder Headline under the pen-name,
Elizabeth Warne. Eileen always undertook
in-depth research for all her books, to
ensure historical and geographic accuracy.
Her authentic handling of dialogue was also
the result of careful research. A favourite
setting for her family sagas was the early
part of the 20th century and, for each new
book, Eileen went to the people who could
remember and describe life, love, good times
and the problems that beset those who lived
at that time. |
Eileen settled in
Scotland, with her husband John and her family, in 1977.
For the past twenty years she lived with her husband in
a Regency cottage near Straiton. She always said how
lucky she was to live in such a wonderful spot in the
world and talked of the kindness of those around her.
Eileen will be missed by a host of friends and
colleagues in Scotland and also in England where she
spent a week each year at the Writers’ Summer School,
Swanwick, enjoying the company of her favourite people,
fellow writers. Eileen is survived by husband John, her
three children Lesley, Deborah, and Alyce, and five
grandchildren. Her funeral was held at Masonhill
Crematorium, Ayr, on Thursday. 4th January
Tribute by John
Jackson. |
