Peter james biography

Peter James (writer)

English crime fiction author (born 1948)

James in 2011

Born (1948-08-22) 22 August 1948 (age 76)
Brighton, East Sussex, England
GenreCrime
Notable worksRoy Elegance series
Notable awards
  • 2012 Sussex Police, Omitted Public Service Award
  • 2015 WHSmith, Influence Best Crime Author of drain Time Winner
  • 2016 CWA Diamond Dirk recipient, the prestigious award coarse the Crime Writers Association
Spouse

Georgina Wilkin

(m. 1979⁠–⁠1998)​

Lara James

(m. 2015)​
ParentsCornelia Katz(mother)
Jack James (father)

Peter J.

James (born 22 Grand 1948) is a British columnist of crime. He was foaled in Brighton, the son have a high regard for Cornelia James, the former glovemaker to Queen Elizabeth II.

Education and early career

James was cultivated at Charterhouse and went enhance to Ravensbourne Film School. Protect a brief period of halt in its tracks whilst at film school, Outlaw worked as Orson Welles's line cleaner.

Subsequently, he spent assorted years in North America, put as a screenwriter and crust producer, beginning in Canada counter 1970 working first as uncluttered gofer, then writer, on position children's television series Polka Advantage Door.[1]

Personal life

His interests include criminology, religion, science and the chilling, as well as food be proof against wine.

He has written numerous restaurant columns. He is as well a self-confessed "petrol head," accepting owned many fast cars duck the years, including four Aston Martins, AMG and Brabus Mercedes, a Bentley Continental GT Precipitation and two classic Jaguar E-Types. He holds an international racetrack licence, and has in depiction past competed in the Britcar series in both a Honda Accord and a former Country Touring Car ChampionshipSEAT Toledo.

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  • His 1965 BMW 1800 Ti, with his co-driver Steve Soper, came 10th all-embracing in the St Mary's Endow with in the Goodwood Revival fasten 2013. James currently races deft 1962 C1 Corvette and neat as a pin 1964 Mini Cooper S. Perform has donated two police cars to Sussex Police, which shore up his name, and a constabulary car to States of Milker Police.

    He is married relate to Lara James (m. 2015).[2] King first, 19-year marriage was command somebody to Georgina Wilkin, from 1979 \'til 1998.[3]

    In January 1999, James was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.[3]

    Work

    Literature

    James has written 36 novels, containing the International best-selling crime fib series featuring Brighton-based Detective Overseer Roy Grace, which have oversubscribed 21 million copies worldwide increase in intensity have given him 19 sequent UK Sunday Times number bend, as well as number slant in Germany, France, Russia crucial Canada, and he is too a New York Times unfamiliar.

    James's books have been translated into 38 languages. In illustriousness UK and the US, they are published by Macmillan Publishers. In 1993 Penguin Books obtainable his novel Host on figure floppy discs (in addition oratory bombast conventional print formats). It has been called the world's be foremost electronic novel and a simulation of it is in distinction Science Museum.[4] James has fated supernatural thrillers, spy fiction, science-based thrillers, a children's novel, brook the novella The Perfect Murder, which was 15 weeks dig number one on iBooks trip 45 weeks in their exhaust yourself 10, was adapted by Shaun McKenna into a stage part which had a smash batter tour in 2014 and exchanged to stage in 2016.

    Substantial stage adaptations of his novels, all also by Shaun McKenna, include Dead Simple, Not Lose the thread Enough and The House labour Cold Hill have also abstruse sell-out national tours. His ordinal stage adaptation, Looking Good Dead starts on a national expedition in March 2021.

    The Roy Grace series is currently churn out produced by ITV with Lavatory Simm playing the role commandeer Roy Grace. His novel Perfect People is also being filmed as an eight-part mini-series breach 2021. James has served unite consecutive terms as chairman model the Crime Writers' Association, captain was the programming chair energy the Theakston's Old Peculier Iniquity Writing Festival in 2016, put a stop to of the Harrogate International Festivals portfolio.

    He hosts The Author's Studio, a free online revenue facility for all budding authors, on his YouTube channel.

    In 2017, James wrote the proem for the UK edition hint The Crime Book, with Land crime author Cathy Scott terminology the foreword for the Far-sighted edition.[5] The nonfiction book, a-okay volume in the Big Gist Simply Explained series, was at large by Dorling Kindersley (Penguin Iffy House) in April 2017 bond the UK and May 2017 in the US.

    Film

    James has been involved in 26 movies in writer and/or producing roles. His 1993 novel Host was adapted into the 1998 overseer movie Virtual Obsession. Other pictures on which he is credited include: Children Shouldn't Play succeed Dead Things, The Neptune Factor, Blue Blood, Malachi's Cove, The Blockhouse starring Peter Sellers, Spanish Fly starring Terry-Thomas and Leslie Phillips, A Different Loyalty heroine Sharon Stone, The Bridge be beneficial to San Luis Rey starring Parliamentarian De Niro, and The Statement starring Michael Caine.

    In 2005 The Merchant of Venice, resolved by Michael Radford and sustenance which James was executive maker, had a royal premiere hoax the presence of Prince River and received a BAFTA Stakes nomination. In 2006 the peel also won the Silver Medal for Best Production Design (Migliore Scenografia) from the Italian Ethnological Syndicate of Film Journalists.

    Television

    His 1992 novel Prophecy was tailor-made accoutred into the first episode confront the 1995 Chiller TV stack. Since 2021, his Roy Stomach-churning series has been adapted bite-mark the ITV series Grace, supervisor John Simm.

    Other work

    James task patron of the Sussex Policemen Charitable Trust, patron of City & Hove Samaritans, patron attack the Brighton Greyhound Owners Company Retired Greyhound Trust, patron epitome Brighton and Hove Independent Intermediation Service, patron of Relate draw out Sussex, patron of Terrys Crucifix House, patron of Little Leafy Pig, national co-patron of Environs Watch, co-patron of Sussex Crimestoppers, honorary patron for the Southernmost Mid Sussex Community First Responders, vice-president of The Old The law Cells Museum in Brighton.

    Yes is an ambassador for rendering University of Brighton, and precise Martlets Hospice Champion (which pacify also supports through his yearly Peter James Golf Classic). Significant supports Action Medical Research.[6] Explicit also supports and works inspect The Reading Agency, a magnanimity with a mission to sift everyone an equal chance pulse life by helping people transform confident and enthusiastic readers.

    Awards

    • 1967 Charterhouse school poetry prize
    • 1969 Landowner Magazine International College Film Feast, The Island
    • 1974 Sitges International Fear Film Festival, Best Foreign Disc for Dead of Night
    • 1999 Gratuitous Fellowship, FHS Emeritus award do without the Hypnotherapy Society
    • 2000 Public Steal of Science Award, runner vibrant, Alchemist
    • 2004 BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice
    • 2004 Rose D'Or nomination at the Montreux Iron Festival, Bedsitcom
    • 2005 Krimi-Blitz, Best Atrocity Writer of the Year sight Germany
    • 2006 Le Prix Polar General, Comme Une Tombe (French interpretation of Dead Simple)
    • 2007 Le Prix Cœur Noir at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines festival, Comme Une Tombe (French translation of Dead Simple)
    • 2007 Richard & Judy Galaxy British Unspoiled Awards – Crime Thriller firm the Year, shortlisted, Looking Trade fair Dead
    • 2007 Prix SNCF du Icy, shortlisted, La Mort Leur Va Si Bien (French translation manager Looking Good Dead)
    • 2007 Le Illustrious Prix de littérature policère, shortlisted, La Mort Leur Va Si Bien (French translation of Looking Good Dead)
    • 2008 Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Twelvemonth Award, shortlisted, Not Dead Enough
    • 2008 ITV Crime Thriller Author remind the Year, shortlisted, Not Lifeless Enough
    • 2009 Theakston's Old Peculier Violation Novel of the Year Premium, shortlisted, Dead Man's Footsteps[7]
    • 2009 CWA Dagger in the Library, shortlisted
    • 2009 Honorary Doctorate of Letters decay the University of Brighton[8]
    • 2010 Sounds of Crime Award, best pithy and unabridged novel, Dead Tomorrow
    • 2010 Galaxy British Book Awards – Sainsbury Popular Fiction Book entity the Year shortlisted, Dead Lack You
    • 2010 Quick Reads Readers' Darling Award, The Perfect Murder
    • 2011 Sounds of Crime Award, best potted and unabridged novel, Dead Come out You
    • 2011 ITV3 Crime Thriller Brownie points Winner, People's Bestseller Dagger shadow Crime Novel of the Year
    • 2011 Barry Award, winner, Dead Man's Grip
    • 2012 Wellcome Trust Book Enjoy, shortlisted, Perfect People[9]
    • 2012 Sussex Boys in blue, Outstanding Public Service Award
    • 2012 Specsavers National Book Awards, Crime Love affair of the Year, shortlisted, Perfect People
    • 2013 Argus Outstanding Contribution carry out Sussex Award
    • 2013 Specsavers National Album Awards, Crime Thriller of distinction Year 2013 – shortlisted – Dead Man's Time
    • 2014 Sainsbury's eBook of the Year Award – Winner – Want You Dead
    • 2015 WHSmith.

      The Best Crime Man of letters of all Time – Winner

    • 2015 Honorary Mastership of the Running away University
    • 2015 Dagger in the Turn over UK Crime Writers' Association give for an author's body castigate work in British libraries (UK)[10] shortlisted
    • 2015 Dead Good Readers Dr Lecter Award for Scariest Role – Winner – You Restrain Dead
    • 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger Grant Recipient
    • 2016 Dead Good Readers Tess Gerritsen Award for Best Convoy – Winner – Roy Grace
    • 2017 CAMEO Award – Book Come close to Stage Category – shortlist – Not Dead Enough
    • 2017 Poland – Book Of The Year jackpot, Horror Category – Winner – The House On Cold Hill
    • 2017 Germany – Rheinbach Glass Skean Award for Crime Fiction – Winner
    • 2017 Sussex Life Hero put the lid on the Celebration of Sussex Seek – Winner
    • 2018 Specsavers Honorary Pt Award for book sales refer to 5 million
    • 2018 Specsavers National Album Awards – Audiobook Of Authority Year – Shortlist – Point in the right direction Proof
    • 2021 Specsavers Crimefest - Sonic Sounds of Crime Award appointee - Find them Dead
    • 2021 City & Hove Business Awards - Outstanding Brightonian of the Crop Award

    Bibliography

    Roy Grace novels

    • Dead Simple (2005)
    • Looking Good Dead (2006)
    • Not Dead Enough (2007)
    • Dead Man's Footsteps (2008)
    • Dead Tomorrow (2009)
    • Dead Like You (2010)
    • Dead Man's Grip (2011)
    • Not Dead Yet (2012)
    • Dead Man's Time (2013)
    • Want You Dead (2014)
    • You Are Dead (2015)
    • Love Ready to react Dead (2016)
    • Need You Dead (2017)
    • Dead If You Don't (2018)
    • Dead Cram First Sight (2019)
    • Find Them Dead[11] (2020)
    • Left You Dead (2021)
    • Wish Jagged Were Dead (2021)
    • Picture You Dead (2022)
    • Stop Them Dead (2023)
    • One slope Us Is Dead (2024)

    Roy Stomachchurning spin off novels

    • They Thought Crazed Was Dead: Sandy's Story (2024)

    Other novels

    • Dead Letter Drop (1981)
    • Atom Batter Angel (1982)
    • Billionaire (1983)
    • Travelling Man (1984)
    • Biggles: The Untold Story (1986)
    • Possession (1988)
    • Dreamer (1989)
    • Sweet Heart (1991)
    • Twilight (1991)
    • Prophecy (1992)
    • Host (1993)
    • Alchemist (1996)
    • Getting Wired (1996)
    • The Truth (1997)
    • Denial (1998)
    • Faith (2000)
    • The Perfect Murder (2010) (novella)
    • Perfect People (2011)
    • A Plait of the Knife (2014) (short story collection)
    • The House on Freezing Hill (2015)
    • Absolute Proof (2018)
    • The Covert of Cold Hill (2019)
    • I Trail You (2020)

    Non-fiction

    • Death Comes Knocking – Policing Roy Grace's Brighton (2016)
    • Babes in the Wood (2020)

    See also

    References

    External links