Joanna Trollope was born on December 9, 1943, in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England. She is the oldest of three siblings and is a fifth-generation niece of Anthony Trollope, the Victorian novelist. Her cousin, James Trollope, is a broadcaster and writer. Trollope was educated at Reigate County School for Girls followed by St Hugh's College, Oxford.
After graduating from Oxford, Trollope worked at the Foreign Office from 1965 to 1967. She then moved into teaching, holding various positions until she became a full-time writer in 1980. In 1980, she won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association for her novel Parson Harding's Daughter.
Trollope has been writing fiction for over 30 years and has written many bestsellers, including "The Rector's Wife," "A Village Affair," "Other People's Children," and "Marrying the Mistress." She was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honors List for her services to literature. Trollope currently lives in England.
It is worth mentioning that, Trollope was born with a silver spoon, being part of a family with a long line of writers, and a direct descendant of a Victorian novelist. However, she has made a name for herself, and her success is not solely based on her family's legacy, but on her own talent, hard work, and dedication to her craft. She has been able to adapt to the changing times and her works reflect contemporary issues and societal changes.