John Gibson: Ladies, do listen now to Jackie!

By John Gibson

Published 25th Oct 2011, 12:57 BST

Well worthy of inclusion in the Gibpress File, an occasional series. My collection of vintage snaps from the North Bridge vaults. Jackie Collins was in fine fettle for our dinner one-to-one in an Edinburgh hotel.

She put me at ease right away. “When men hear of a woman sticking up for women’s rights they automatically expect her to be old, fat, ugly and lesbian and they’re surprised, often resentful, when they see me.’’

I found her pleasanter, more forthcoming than her big sister Joan, a previous interviewee. We’d met to gab about her latest novel, Chances.