Weymouth author Dilly Court on writing her 50th novel, The Snow Angel

‘I never plot,’ she tells me, perched on the sofa in her living room, her beloved dog, Bertie by her side. ‘I see the story in my head, like a play or film. I can hear what the characters say and see where they are. I even smell things, like being by a river. I just need to have quiet when I write, then I go into this other world and capture everything I see and hear.’

It’s a method that’s helped her sell an incredible five million best-selling novels. Many have a festive theme (A Thimble for Christmas, Snow Bride, A Winter Wedding), while some are part of a series (The Rockwood Chronicles, The Village Secrets). In recent years most have hit the Sunday Times number one spot, and her 50th, The Snow Angel, published in October, is already a bestseller. Set in Abbotsford, it’s a fictionalised Weymouth - where Dilly has lived for the last 45 years. ‘I love the bay, it’s beautiful. And Dorset as a whole. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,’ she tells me.

Dilly Court with her beloved dog Bertie. (Photo: Peter Yendell)

In the novel a young boy is found lying, half frozen, in the manger of the town’s nativity display. Plucky heroine, Rose Northwood is determined to nurse him back to health – despite the disapproval of the townsfolk and a mysterious, dark and handsome but rather grumpy man who comes looking for him. In her pursuit to find out the truth about the boy’s past, Rose jumps on a ship to France (a couple of times), a train to London and, despite being kidnapped more than once by dastardly villains, ends up in a delightful happy ever after. (Although to find out, ‘with whom’, you’ll have to read the book.)

Dilly’s novels are long, between 100,000 and 120,000 words, and each chapter is the same length and ends on a cliff hanger. Apart from that, she’s not terribly concerned with the generic conventions of historical saga (which include the need for a central female character, hardship and a strong sense of community). Nor does she particularly like the term. ‘I prefer to call them “ripping yarns for ladies”.’

She is, however, a stickler for historical accuracy. (According to convention, the books must be set between 1850 and 1950.) ‘I work a lot from maps from that period, history books, old paintings and the internet. I’m determined that I get journey times right, find out what the connections would have been. I kind of live in the 1800s, so it’s all very familiar.’

Some of Dilly's historical sagas are set at Christmas. (Photo: Harper Collins) Dilly clearly revels in historical detail. She tells me how she discovered a street in London called Turnagain Lane (named because of a frequently flooding river); how Printing House Yard once hosted Shakespeare’s small theatre and house; and how the storyline for one of her characters being found as a baby in a doctor’s bag was based on a true story about a passenger ship disaster.

It’s equally important to her that the language is accurate. ‘I’m very particular about slang. I was reading a book set in the 18th century and somebody said goody gumdrops. That’s a World War Two saying. Come on!’ Bridgerton also gets a firm no. ‘My family hate watching television with me. If there’s anything historically incorrect, I get so annoyed.’ What she does enjoy, however, is a good game show in the afternoon, preferably watched with one of her granddaughters.

When I visit, one of them, Talia, has popped round, and her sister, Milly, later arrives with her two children. They’re clearly a very close family. Milly helps Dilly proof-read her books and run her social media, which includes 15 thousand followers on Facebook (@DillyCourtAuthor). ‘She’s also a writer,’ Dilly says proudly. ‘Young adult fantasy, which she gives away on Amazon. I’ve got a great-grandson who’s studying to be a barrister. Which will be useful if I ever want to sue anyone. And Talia is very good at art. ‘As is Nan,’ her granddaughter interjects.

Dilly Court in her Weymouth garden with her dog Bertie. (Photo: Peter Yendell) When I ask if I can see Dilly’s paintings, she tells me that most are in her husband, John’s room. ‘He’s an invalid and has dementia, so I’ve locked him upstairs.’

‘Not literally locked him in,’ Talia laughs, and Dilly shakes her head. ‘Oh dear, “Author has husband locked in the attic” doesn’t sound very good!’ More laughter ensues, but Dilly’s commitment to her husband of 30 years is not to be underestimated. For the last five he’s been bed-bound, and Dilly is his full-time carer.

‘He’s nearly 92, and sort of with it most of the time, although he didn’t know me the other morning. I used to go for walks along the seafront, but I’m tied to the house now as John has falls. He’s also diabetic so I must test his blood in the morning, before a nurse comes and gives him insulin.’

Talia, who works as a carer, drops by regularly to help. ‘He doesn’t always remember stuff, but he remembers he got in trouble with Nana recently and mustn’t be rude.’

Some of Dilly's historical sagas set are at Christmas.(Photo: Harper Collins) I wonder if Dilly’s writing is therapeutic. ‘I’m never bored. I just go into my Engine Room (aka her office) and escape into my book. I still write every day, though I’ve recently gone down from three to two books a year.’

What strikes you most is just how down-to-earth she is, despite her incredible success. I ask if her neighbours in this quiet street in Weymouth are aware that there’s a Sunday Times bestselling author living nearby? A couple do, because she gives them the books when they come out, but most don’t. ‘Success, to me, means I’ve been able to help my family out.’ Although she does recall, with some delight, knocking ‘cosy crime’ writer Richard Osman off the number one spot in 2022, declaring it the pinnacle of her career. ‘But I don’t really see myself as Dilly Court. She’s famous. I’m not.’

Dilly’s real name is Delys, and her own life could be written as a contemporary version of one of her novels. Born in Devon, then brought up on the outskirts of London, where her father owned a furniture shop, she left grammar school aged 16 to pursue a career in television.

‘My ambition was to a be a production assistant, but I was too young, so they put me in the advertising department, which I loved.’ Cue plot development, where our plucky teenage heroine takes it upon herself to write some copy (on her aunt’s pre-war typewriter), which her boss finds on his desk and loves. She’s then promoted to copywriter. ‘I was paid ten guineas a week, which was quite a lot of money in 1957.

‘The male account executives were all either ex-army officers or aristocrats. We had a viscount, and his cousin was a deb’s delight. It was a smart place to work, and they were all lovely.’

The cover of Dilly's latest book. (Photo: Harper Collins) Charles Dickens is Dilly’s favourite author, and she still has her father’s illustrated copies of the originals. She also loves authors like Thackery, Austen, Neville Shute, Wilbur Smith (who she once met) and Santa Montefiore. It was her love of reading that led her to her only foray into crime, when she tried to forge a library card application, telling the librarian that the writing was bad because her ‘mother had a weak heart’.

And it was her mother who later inspired her writing career. ‘She lived with us during her final six months. At her funeral my husband read out the only piece of writing she’d ever had published – about her experiences of being a young war bride. I knew she’d written much more but torn things up. So, I thought, I’ll do it for her. That gave me the impetus and the determination.’

It then took Dilly eight years to snag an agent, meaning her first book wasn’t published until she was 65. ‘I had to find my voice. I tried writing a book set in the 1960s, a time slip, a comedy. But it was when I started writing ‘clogs and shawls’ novels, set at the turn-of-the-century, that things began to happen.’ An agent took her on, having read just the first few chapters of the book, Mermaids Singing, which was published as a Cockney saga in 2005. Under the pen name, Lily Baxter, Dilly has also written six books set in World War Two, beginning with Poppy’s War in 2010.

This year Dilly turned 84. ‘I can go on writing for ever, or until I become senile,’ she says, laughing. ‘As long as the characters keep telling me what to write, and I remain in charge of grammar and punctuation, I have no intention of stopping.’

Something her millions of readers, worldwide, will be very glad to hear. 

The Snow Angel, published by Harper Collins, priced £8.99 is out now. Find out more at dillycourt.com.