Novelist Jilly Cooper made a dame in New Year Honours

"Bonkbuster" novelist Jilly Cooper says she is "delighted, bewildered and ecstatic" hearing she will be made a dame in the New Year Honours List.

Born in Essex, Ms Cooper is best known for her Rutshire Chronicles series, published in the 1980s.

The author and journalist was appointed CBE in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

Of her new honour, she said: "It's a colossal honour and encourages me to write the next one."

The 86-year-old's first Rutshire book, Riders, was published in 1985 and was a tale of scandal and adultery in upper class society centred on aristocratic character Rupert Campbell-Black.

She said: "It's the best, it's easily the best... it is a huge thing and funnily enough my darling friend Joanna Lumley has been a dame for ages and I thought it would never happen to me."

Her books earned the soubriquet "bonkbusters".

Dame Jilly was born in Hornchurch, in what was then part of Essex, and grew up in Yorkshire

Her work has been adapted for the screen, with David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aiden Turner, Emily Atak and Danny Dyer to feature in the latest based on her book Rivals, for Disney+.

"I think writers should be recognised because it's very hard, writing; it takes a lot of time... it's a colossal honour and encourages me to write the next one," she said.

Her damehood also recognises her charity work as patron of numerous animal charities.

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She was also previously appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004.

Ms Cooper said this time round she had been "really good" at keeping the news a secret.

She moved to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire in 1982 where she has said she writes in a summerhouse at the bottom of her manor house's garden on a manual typewriter called Monica while listening to classical music.

On her latest honour she said: "I'm terribly excited; it's gorgeous and bewildering but my darling parents in heaven I want to send them a telegram... they would be so proud."