British novelist Jackie Collins has died at the age off 77 after battling breast cancer.

The renowned writer of raunchy female fiction, who sold more than 500 million novels in more than 40 countries, was diagnosed six-and-a-half years ago but told few people about her illness because she didn’t want to “burden” others with it.

During her 40-year career, the mother-of-three and grandmother-of-six amassed a huge amount of friends, and tributes to her have been pouring in through the day, after she died in Los Angeles on Saturday.

But one of the most poignant tributes came from Jackie’s own sister, renowned actress Dame Joan Collins, who spoke of her “beautiful brave baby sister”.

The pair were rumoured to have had a difficult relationship at times, but they were pictured together in London just a few days ago while Jackie was on a promotional tour for her new novel The Santangelos.

Jilly Cooper – also famed for her saucy romantic novels – said the news of her fellow writer’s death was a “terrible shock”, but her decision not to tell people was “a mark of her splendour”.

The 78-year-old told LBC radio: “She was absolutely marvellous, she was lovely. She was a very, very good writer. Also she was a terrific friend. When I was going through a bad time she would ring me up and send me nice letters.”

Presenter Graham Norton once interviewed Jackie on his chatshow and said of her: “I’m so very sad to hear about Jackie Collins. She was the definition of a class act. Everyone who met her was lucky.”

Joan (left) and Jackie Collins during the filming of the New Year's Eve Graham Norton Show
Joan (left) and Jackie Collins during the filming of the New Year’s Eve Graham Norton Show (Yui Mok/PA)

Living in Beverly Hills, the British writer had many high-profile friends across the continents.

Jackie Collins aged 22 at her London wedding to Wallace Austin
Jackie Collins aged 22 at her London wedding to Wallace Austin (PA)

The rest of Jackie’s family said she had broken new ground for female writers in fiction over the course of her 40-year career. In a statement, they said: “It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one of a kind mother, Jackie Collins, who died of breast cancer today.

 Jackie Collins with her granddaughters (L-R: Dylan Thain, Chloe Green, and India Thain) as she holds her OBE in 2013
Jackie Collins with her granddaughters (L-R: Dylan Thain, Chloe Green, and India Thain) as she holds her OBE in 2013 (Tony Harris/PA)

“She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends and the millions of readers who she has been entertaining for over four decades.

“She was a true inspiration, a trail blazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words.”

Her novels, telling stories of glamour, sex and affairs in Hollywood, include The World Is Full Of Married Men, The Love Killers and The World Is Full Of Divorced Women. Her title Hollywood Wives became a New York Times bestseller and was made into a television series starring Farrah Fawcett and Anthony Hopkins.

A young Jackie Collins
Jackie Collins brought about a revolution in writing for female novelists (PA)

In an interview with the Press Association earlier this month Jackie said she chose to celebrate life rather than mourn those close to her who had died.

“I refuse to mourn people, because everybody dies. Death and taxes, you can’t avoid either,” she said.

Jackie Collins
Jackie said she chose to celebrate life rather than mourn those who had died (Tony Harris/PA)

Private memorial services will be held for family members in America and the UK, and those wishing to make donations can do so to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Organisation in America and Penny Brohn Cancer Care in the UK.