Shirley Conran is a bestselling author, whose books include Lace, which was made into an 80s US miniseries and Superwoman. She has been a columnist for Vanity Fair, women's editor of The Daily Mail and a feature writer for The Observer newspaper.
Conran was educated at the University of Portsmouth. She was successfully treated for skin cancer and has suffered from M.E.. She is the ex-wife of British designer, restaurateur, retailer and writer Sir Terence Conran and mother to designers Sebastian Conran and Jasper Conran, with homes in France and London.
Shirley Conran is well known for coining the phrases "Life's too short to stuff a mushroom" and "First things first, second things never".