Josephine Cox has died at the age of 82.
The best-selling author – who wrote more than 60 books and sold more than 20 million copies of her work worldwide – "passed away peacefully" on Friday (17.07.20).
Charlie Redmayne, the CEO of HarperCollins, her publisher since 2003, hailed Cox as "one of our most beloved writers" who worked "diligently and with the utmost dedication".
He said: "She was a joy to spend time with and will be missed by not just her countless readers, but by all of us who had the privilege of working with her."
Kimberley Young, executive publisher of HarperCollins Fiction, has also heaped praise on the popular author.
She described Cox – who took up writing at the age of 43, after initially working as a teacher – as "an utter force of nature who inspired all around her".
She added: "Jo received sacks full of mail from those who felt touched by her words, and wrote back to each and every one, creating an army of readers who were as loyal to her as she was to them.
"Josephine truly earned her place as the nation’s favourite and that is how we’ll always remember her."
The novelist penned titles such as ‘The Beachcomber’, ‘The Broken Man’ and ‘The Runaway Woman’.
Cox – who was once tipped by one of her school teachers to become a successful novelist – previously admitted to being obsessed with writing.
She shared: "I love writing, both recreating scenes and characters from my past, together with new storylines which mingle naturally with the old.
"I could never imagine a single day without writing, and it’s been that way since as far back as I can remember."
Cox – who also wrote under the name Jane Brindle – married her husband Ken at the age of 16 and they had two sons together, Wayne and Spencer.