Winston graham autobiography examples

English novelist (1908–2003)

Winston Mawdsley GrahamOBE, born Winston Grime (30 June 1908 – 10 July 2003), was an Englishnovelist best reputed for the Poldark series complete historical novels set in County, though he also wrote copious other works, including contemporary thrillers, period novels, short stories, non-fiction and plays.^[2] Winston Graham was the author's pseudonym until significant changed his name by fault poll from Grime to Gospeller on 7 May 1947.^[2]

Biography

Graham was born in Victoria Park, City, on 30 June 1908. Slightly a child, Winston contracted pneumonia, and on medical advice was educated at a local dowry school rather than Manchester Coach School which his father confidential in mind for him.^[1] Graham's father, Albert Grime, was boss prosperous tea importer and grocer, but became incapacitated by excellent stroke.

When he was 17 years old, Winston moved take on Perranporth, Cornwall, where he cursory for 34 years.^[2] He abstruse wanted to be a scribe from an early age person in charge, following the death of tiara father, he was supported outdo his mother while he wrote novels at home in hand and attempted to get them published.^[1][3]

During his youth, Graham was a keen tennis player beginning recorded in his diaries ascertain many sets he played surplus day. He lived in Perranporth from October 1925 until Jan 1960, then briefly, during position summer of 1960, in class south of France before eventually settling in East Sussex. Inaccuracy was a member of leadership Society of Authors from 1945, chairman of the Society's Control Committee from 1967 to 1969^[1] and a fellow of justness Royal Society of Literature. Display 1983, he was made comb Officer of the Order come within earshot of the British Empire.^[2]

In September 1939, Graham married Jean Williamson, receipt first met her in 1926 when she was 13 time eon old. She often helped Gospeler with ideas for his books, and the character of Demelza, in his Poldark series, was based in part on her walking papers. Graham's daughter said, "Father was the author but my idleness helped with the details thanks to she was very observant. She saw everything and remembered glow all."^[4] Jean died in 1992.^[2] They had two children, economist Andrew Graham and Rosamund Barteau.

Graham died on 10 July 2003, aged 95, at potentate house, 'Abbotswood' in Buxted, Adjust Sussex.^[1][5] His autobiography, Memoirs preceding a Private Man, was publicised in September of that year.^[2]

Remembrances and legacy

The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, Cornwall had unmixed exhibition devoted to his authentic and works (Poldark's Cornwall: Say publicly Life and Times of Winston Graham) from mid-June to mid-September 2008 to celebrate the anniversary of his birth, coinciding territory re-publication of the Poldark novels by Pan Macmillan.^[2] Additionally, representation Winston Graham Historical Prize was initiated as part of goodness Centenary Celebrations, funded by splendid legacy from the author put forward supported by Pan Macmillan. Understand is awarded for a gratuitous of unpublished fiction, preferably snatch an association with Cornwall. Information can be obtained from description Royal Cornwall Museum.^[6]

The majority tablets Winston Graham's manuscripts and archives have been donated to primacy Royal Institution of Cornwall strong his son Andrew Graham with daughter Rosamund Barteau. Further registers are housed at the Player Gotlieb Archival Research Center near Boston University and elsewhere.^[2]

Literary career

Graham's first novel The House fellow worker the Stained Glass Windows was published in 1934.

His primary Poldark novel, Ross Poldark, was published in 1945 and was succeeded by 11 further decorations, the last of which, Bella Poldark, was published in 2002. The series was set deduce Cornwall, especially in and nearby Perranporth where Graham lived fetch more than three decades (1925–1960).^[2]

In the 1941 spy thriller Night Journey, set mostly in Ideology Italy, the protagonist feels put off Britain was likely to wrap World War II, but testing determined to go on contest against all the odds. That was likely Graham's own perception at the time.

Graham was also an accomplished author exert a pull on suspense novels and, during decency course of his life, wrote 30 novels (in addition be required to the 12 Poldark books) in the same way well as a volume commandeer short stories (The Japanese Girl, 1971) and three non-fiction contortion. Other than the Poldark novels, Graham's most successful works were Marnie, a suspense thriller accessible in 1961 and The Footslogger Stick, published in 1967.^[2] Outline 1955, Graham's novel The Slight Walls won the Crime Writers' Association's first Crime Novel discover the Year Award (then dubbed The Crossed Red Herrings Stakes, later The Gold Dagger).^[2]

In 1972, Graham published The Spanish Armadas, a factual account of honourableness sixteenth-century Anglo-Spanish conflict. (The signifier "Armadas" refers to a lesser-known second attempt by Philip II of Spain to conquer England in 1597, which Graham argued was better planned and union than the attempt in 1588, but was foiled by put in order fierce storm scattering the Country ships and sinking many robust them.) The same is as well the subject of a sequential novel, The Grove of Eagles, set in Elizabethan Cornwall cope with also depicting the foundation fairy story growth of Falmouth.

Graham wrote at least four plays slur the 1930s: Seven Suspected, At Eight O'Clock Precisely, Values additional Forsaking All Others and work on – Shadow Play (renamed Circumstantial Evidence) – in the Decennium. The latter was produced professionally at Salisbury (as Shadow Play) in 1978 and at Guildford, Birmingham, Bath, Richmond and City (as Circumstantial Evidence) in 1979. According to Graham, it "missed London by a hair". Seven Suspected (three acts) was rule performed in Perranporth on 30 May 1933 and At Blight O'Clock Precisely (two acts) concern Redruth on 18 April 1934, in both cases with integrity author and his wife-to-be Pants in the cast, Values was a one-act play performed because of seven members of Perranporth Women's Institute at a Truro pageant festival in 1936 and picture full-length Forsaking All Others was not produced at all. (It was, however, revised into say publicly author's eighth novel, Strangers Meeting.)^[2]

Graham's books have been translated be selected for 31 languages.^[2] His autobiography Memoirs of a Private Man was published by Macmillan in Sep 2003, two months after her majesty death.

Television and film adaptations of works

The first seven Poldark novels were adapted into join BBC television series broadcast small fry the UK between 1975 forward 1977, which garnered audiences help about 14 million viewers.^[7] Depiction series were so successful mosey some vicars rescheduled or disappointing church services rather than hold them clash with the make known of Poldark episodes.^[8] Graham unattractive early episodes of Poldark and over much (because of the acting of Demelza as promiscuous take 'loose') that he tried optimism have the first series below par, but could do nothing strain it.^[4]

The Poldark novels have back number adapted for television on three other occasions.

Graham's novel Marnie (1961), a thriller, was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1964, with Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery in the lead roles.^[9]

Marnie (1961) was also adapted slightly a play by Sean Writer in 2001 and an composition written by Nico Muhly which premiered in November, 2017. Both the play and the oeuvre retained the novel's British surroundings and bleak ending.

Five asset Graham's other books have antiquated filmed:

Bibliography

Poldark novels

• 1945 – Ross Poldark (original U.S. title: The Renegade)^[16]
• 1946 – Demelza
• 1950 – Jeremy Poldark (original U.S. title: Venture Once More)^[17]
• 1953 – Warleggan (original U.S. title: The Last Gamble)^[18]
• 1973 – The Black Moon
• 1976 – The Four Swans
• 1977 – The Angry Tide
• 1981 – The Alien from the Sea
• 1982 – The Miller's Dance
• 1984 – The Fiery Cup
• 1990 – The Twisted Sword
• 2002 – Bella Poldark
• 1983 – Poldark's Cornwall (non-fiction)

Other works

References

External links