Twice-married romantic novelist Joanna Trollope admits she was never any good at marriage and says the last 25 years without a husband have been the 'best of her life'

  • Joanna Trollope said at the London Book Fair she was not good at being married 
  • She said: 'The fact that I’m not very good at it doesn’t mean that the rest of you aren’t brilliant at it. So please, if you want to and need to get married, do'

With 21 romance novels – and two marriages – under her belt, she’s something of an expert on affairs of the heart.

But Joanna Trollope has admitted she was never any good at being married and that the past 25 years without a ring on her finger have been the best of her life.

She was speaking at the London Book Fair, whose PR Tony Mulliken provoked a sexism row when he said he had read that the author was ‘always looking for a great kiss’ and suggested he would like to ‘snog’ her.

Joanna Trollope has admitted she was never any good at being married and that the past 25 years without a ring on her finger have been the best of her life

Joanna Trollope has admitted she was never any good at being married and that the past 25 years without a ring on her finger have been the best of her life

After being introduced by Mr Mulliken as Tuesday’s ‘author of the day’, Miss Trollope, 74, was asked at a panel discussion what advice she would give to someone who was looking to get married for a third time.

She replied that she would ‘not dream of offering advice’ but added: ‘I’ve had two [husbands] but I haven’t had any for about 25 years and they’ve been the best 25 years of my life.

‘The fact that I’m not very good at it doesn’t mean that the rest of you aren’t brilliant at it. So please, if you want to and need to get married, do. Just don’t ask me to.’ She also revealed she has no time for the term ‘soulmate’, adding: ‘If you say “X is my soulmate”, what you’re saying is, “There’s an awful lot of my personality I don’t really care for, but you seem to adore it so you have it, you deal with it, I’m handing myself over to you”.

Joanna Trollope has admitted she was never any good at being married and that the past 25 years without a ring on her finger have been the best of her life (Joanna pictured with her former husband, television dramatist Ian Curteis)

Joanna Trollope has admitted she was never any good at being married and that the past 25 years without a ring on her finger have been the best of her life (Joanna pictured with her former husband, television dramatist Ian Curteis)

‘You’ve got to live with yourself, you’ve got to learn to do it because … you’re the only person you’re stuck with.’

Often described as the Queen of the Aga Saga – a term she considers sexist – she has made more than £15million through her tales of tangled middle-class relationships.

The row over Mr Mulliken’s comments erupted on social media when thriller writer and former police officer Clare Mackintosh tweeted that she was ‘revolted to hear Joanna Trollope being introduced as someone the (male) host would “like to snog”’.

Miss Trollope, 74, was asked at a panel discussion what advice she would give to someone who was looking to get married for a third time

Miss Trollope, 74, was asked at a panel discussion what advice she would give to someone who was looking to get married for a third time

She added: ‘The gist of the intro: “I read once that she is always looking for a great kiss. I often see her in Kensington and think I’d like to give her a snog.’”

Miss Mackintosh later told the industry magazine The Bookseller: ‘I find it abhorrent that someone introducing an author would gloss over their professional achievements in favour of their sexual attributes.’ She added it was ‘grossly inappropriate’ at a time when ‘#MeToo victims have finally been given a voice’.

Mr Mulliken apologised for his ‘crass and offensive’ comments, saying: ‘I was wrong to introduce Joanna Trollope as I did. I have the utmost respect for her. I have apologised to Joanna directly and unreservedly.’

Miss Trollope did not comment on the row, but addressed sexism when she told her audience at the book fair: ‘My generation, we did have to put up with it and shut up.’

The Oxford graduate recalled being told by a ‘dismissive’ careers adviser in 1964 that ‘you could nurse or teach or she said you could sit the Civil Service exam’.

She added: ‘I remember my friend Jill saying, “I think we’re going to have to get married”. That’s not a million miles away from Jane Austen. Just think how far you girls have come – but not far enough.’

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