• 20 September 2015 - BBC News

Image copyright AP

Image caption The World is Full of Married Men was Jackie's first book

Jackie Collins, who has died from cancer at the age of 77, epitomised the glamour which she wrote about in such salacious detail, chronicling the lives and loves of Hollywood's glitterati.

And the old adage that "sex sells" was certainly true for Collins, as she went on to sell more than 500 million books in 40 countries.

Although primarily marketed to women, she insisted that there was a 50% split between female and male readers, with the majority of those asking for autographs through her website being men.
She started writing fiction while at school in London, selling steamy stories to her classmates, before she was expelled.

It did her no harm

Her first novel, The World is Full of Married Men, was published in 1968 and was a bestseller that was banned in Australia.

She followed this up with The Stud, a tale of family betrayal and double-crossing set in the throbbing world of high-end nightclubs.

The book was turned into a hugely successful film, which starred sister Joan Collins in the lead role of Fontaine, a role she credited with reviving her career.
The film, which featured the memorable scene of Joan naked atop a giant swing above a swimming pool, had to be cut before release in many countries or was outright banned because of its explicit nature. 
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