Picture a Welsh storyteller weaving tales of love, loss, and history against the backdrop of a gritty mining town—meet Catrin Collier! Born Karen Watkins, this prolific author of historical fiction, romance, and crime novels has enchanted readers with her vivid narratives and heartfelt characters. From her BBC-adapted Hearts of Gold to the gripping By Any Name on Amazon Prime, Collier’s stories bring the past to life with a touch of emotional magic.
With a Welsh father and a Prussian refugee mother, Collier’s unique heritage infuses her work with a rich blend of cultural perspectives. Now living on the scenic Gower Peninsula, she continues to craft stories that resonate with readers worldwide, proving that history isn’t just about dates—it’s about the people who lived it.
The Making of Catrin Collier
Born in 1948 in Pontypridd, Wales, Catrin Collier grew up in a town steeped in coal-mining history, which would later inspire her iconic Hearts of Gold series. Her mother, Gerda Salewski, fled East Prussia during World War II, and her father, Glyn Jones, was a Welsh Guardsman. This blend of resilience and storytelling shaped Collier’s worldview. After teaching English and drama in Swansea, she turned to writing, fueled by her love for history and her grandmother’s tales of nursing in the Pontypridd workhouse. Her early jobs, from waitressing to working abroad, became ‘research’ for her vivid characters.
Catrin Collier’s Unforgettable Stories
Collier’s bibliography is a treasure trove of historical sagas, crime thrillers, and romances, often written under pseudonyms like Katherine John or Caro French. Her Hearts of Gold series, set in 1930s–1950s Pontypridd, is a standout, following characters like trainee midwife Bethan Powell through love and hardship. The first book was adapted into a BBC drama in 2003, seen by 6.8 million viewers. One Last Summer (2007), inspired by her mother’s wartime diaries, is a poignant standalone novel about a Prussian girl’s transformation during World War II, earning a spot on the Holocaust Day Memorial Trust’s recommended reading list.
Under the Katherine John pseudonym, By Any Name delivers a tense crime thriller about an amnesiac found in the Brecon Beacons, later adapted for Amazon Prime in 2017. Her Long Road to Baghdad series dives into the Mesopotamia campaign of World War I, blending meticulous research with emotional depth. Collier’s style is immersive, with richly drawn characters and a knack for making historical events feel personal and immediate.
Whether writing about Welsh mining communities, war-torn Prussia, or Russian industrialists in The Tsar’s Dragons, Collier’s themes of survival, love, and resilience shine through. Her ability to juggle genres—historical fiction, crime, and even ‘raunchy’ modern fiction as Caro French—shows her versatility and dedication to storytelling.
Why Catrin Collier Matters
Catrin Collier’s impact lies in her ability to humanize history. Her novels don’t just recount events; they explore the emotional toll on ordinary people, from Welsh miners to war refugees. Her work has inspired adaptations, earned her a dedicated readership, and even led to Ty Catrin, an adult education center in Pontypridd, being named in her honor in 2003. By drawing on her family’s stories, she preserves cultural histories that might otherwise fade, making her a vital voice in Welsh and historical literature.
- Born: 1948, Pontypridd, Wales
- Key Works: Hearts of Gold, One Last Summer, By Any Name, Long Road to Baghdad
- Notable: Ty Catrin education center named in her honor
Snag Hearts of Gold or One Last Summer and dive into Catrin Collier’s captivating world of history and heart!