The 2025 Cheltenham Literature Festival has already been packed full of memorable moments, from Joanna Lumley receiving a standing ovation to Graham Norton sharing hilarious stories from his red chair.
Week two of the festival has continued with an audience listening to Me Before You author, Jojo Moyes, who paid tribute to Jilly Cooper as she revealed she was the last person to interview the late novelist before her death at the beginning of October 2025.
Celebrating the release of her new book, We All Live Here, Jojo chatted to a full house at Cheltenham Town Hall, discussing all the details of the new story, as well as the importance of female friendships.
And when asked about her relationship with Jilly Cooper, she explained how she's only recently been able to talk about her death, saying that she 'cried all day' when she heard and that it 'wasn't Jilly's time to go'.
She continued: 'Jilly was extraordinary. She changed the landscape for so many women, not just because of her creativity but because of her honesty.
'She played down her intellect and her cleverness her whole life because she'd been raised in an era in which you had to make sure you didn't overshadow a man's achievements.
'In my last interview with her, she said 'oh this is all wrong, I should be interviewing you, you're far more important and successful' but I will never be as important as Jilly Cooper.
'She didn't just give so many of us so much pleasure with what she wrote but she changed the way an entire generation of women thought about sex.
'I would encourage every young woman to read some Jilly Cooper for the joie de vivre of it all.
'I thank her for that and for so many other things. She is so missed.'
Cheltenham Literature Festival continues until Sunday 19 October 2025, with tickets still available for a variety events via the Cheltenham Festivals website.
