She may not have been as famous as Barbara Cartland.But on the longevity front, Mills & Boon writer Ida Pollock has earned her place in history.The world’s oldest author, she has died aged 105 – just weeks before the publication of her 125th novel.
Mrs Pollock sold millions of books over the course of more than nine decades. At one point she produced 40 books in five years – and once claimed she could finish a novel in six weeks.Born in Lewisham, south London, she finished her first book at the age of 14. In the 1930s she decided to become a full-time author, penning a string of hits using the name Joan Allen.
By 1956 she had published eight romances under five pen names – each around 70,000 words long.Mrs Pollock went on to use ten pseudonyms and saw 70 of her books published by Mills & Boon under the names Pamela Kent, Rose Burghley, Susan Barrie and Mary Whistler.