Julian Symons

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Julian Gustave Symons (born May 30, 1912 in London , † November 23, 1994 in Kent ) was a British literary critic, detective writer and bestselling author.

Life

Symons left school at the age of 14 and then carried out various simple activities, mainly manual work, until he founded the magazine Twentieth Century Verse in 1937 , which lasted until the beginning of the Second World War .

From 1942 to 1944 he did military service during the war and after his discharge from the military he worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry, but also began to write detective novels , the first of which ( The Immaterial Murder Case ) appeared in 1945 and was an immediate success . From 1947 he was able to live from his writing activity and made it his main occupation.

Between 1945 and 1994 he wrote over thirty detective novels. In addition to his crime novels and thrillers, some of which have received critical acclaim, he has also written poetry, non-fiction books (military history and others), biographies , reviews and essays . Between 1976 and 1985 he was President of the British Detection Club, succeeding Agatha Christie .

Julian Symons died in 1994.

Awards

  • 1957 Gold Dagger of the British Crime Writers' Association (CWA) for The Color of Murder (German: Das Laächter des Morders . Dörner, Düsseldorf 1959)
  • 1961 Edgar Allan Poe Award ( Best Novel category ) from the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) for Progress of a Crime (German. In the end everything was free . Goldmann, Munich 1962)
  • 1971 Swedish crime prize (category best crime novel translated into Swedish ) of the Svenska Deckarakademin for the 31 februari (Original: The 31st of February ; German: The 31st February . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1989)
  • 1973 Edgar Allan Poe Award (Category Special Edgar Award ) for Mortal Consequences: A History from the Detective Story to the Crime Novel (UK: Bloody Murder - From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel: A History . Dt. In the beginning was the murder : a history of the detective novel . Goldmann, Munich 1972)
  • 1982 Grand Master Award , the highest award of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) for special achievements in the crime genre and the consistently high quality of his works
  • 1990 Cartier Diamond Dagger lifetime achievement award from the British Crime Writers' Association (CWA) in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the English language crime novel

Works (selection)

author

Inspector Bland series
  • The Immaterial Murder Case . House of Stratus, London, 2001, ISBN 1-84232-912-X (reprinted by EA London 1945).
  • A Man Called Jones , House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-913-8 (reprinted by EA London 1947).
  • Bland Beginning . House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-914-6 (reprinted by EA London 1949).
Inspector Crambo series
  • The Narrowing Circle . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1987, ISBN 0-14-009364-8 (reprinted by EA London 1954).
    • The circle is getting closer. Detective novel . Goldmann, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-442-04104-X (reprint of the Basel 1954 edition).
  • The Gigantic Shadow . Dales Publ., Long Preston 2005, ISBN 1-84262-371-0 (reprinted from London 1958 edition).
    • Looming shadows. 2nd Edition. Goldmann, Munich 1972, ISBN 3-442-03297-0 (EA Munich 1970).
Francis Quarles series
  • Murder! Murder! Fontana Books, London 1961.
  • Francis Quarles Investigates . Panther Books, London 1965.
    • Felt it down. 15 detective stories with Francis Quarles. 2nd Edition. Diogenes, Zurich 1979, ISBN 3-257-20601-1 (EA Zurich 1978).
  • The Detections of Francis Quarles . Crippen & Landru Publ., Norfolk, Va 2006, ISBN 1-932009-44-2 .
  • The Plaste Pekingese 1966
    • A plaster pekingese. 21 crime stories about the private detective Francis Quarle . Diogenes, Zurich 1966.
Joan Kahn-Harper series
  • The Man Who Killed Himself . Chivers Books, Bath 1999, ISBN 0-7540-3741-X (reprint of the London 1967 edition).
    • If I'm dead . Goldmann, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-442-06248-9 (reprint of the Munich edition 1968).
  • The Man Whose Dreams Came True . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1977, ISBN 0-14-004347-0 (reprinted by EA London 1968).
    • Roulette of dreams. 4th edition. Goldmann, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-442-04792-7 (reprinted by EA Munich 1969).
  • The Man Who Lost His Wife . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1970, ISBN 0-14-004348-9 .
  • The Players and the Game . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1972, ISBN 0-14-003808-6 (reprint of the London 1972 edition).
    • The players and death. 2nd Edition. Goldmann, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-442-04469-3 (EA Munich 1973).
  • The Plot Against Roger Rider . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1983, ISBN 0-14-003949-X (reprinted by EA London 1973).
  • Sweet Adelaide. A victorian puzzle solved . Collins, London 1980, ISBN 0-00-231669-2 .
  • The Detling Murders . Macmillan, London 1982, ISBN 0-333-31305-4 .
  • The Man Who Hated Television and other Stories . Macmillan, London 1995, ISBN 0-333-63230-3 .
Sheridan Haynes series
  • A three pipe problem . House of Stratur, London 2001, ISBN 0-7551-2970-9 (reprint of the London 1975 edition).
    • Sherlock in a tight spot . Goldmann, Munich 1985, ISBN 3-442-04972-5 (reprinted by EA Munich 1975).
  • The Kentish Manor Murders . Macmillan, London 1988, ISBN 0-333-39742-8 .
Standalones
  • The Thirty-First of February . Chivers Press, Bath 1995, ISBN 0-7451-8672-6 (EA London 1950).
  • The Broken Penny . House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-916-2 (reprint of the London 1953 edition).
  • The Paper Chase . House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-918-9 (reprint of the London 1956 edition).
    • Scavenger hunt . Goldmann, Munich 1974, ISBN 3-442-04406-5 (reprint of the Reinbek edition 1961).
  • The Color of Murder . Papermac Books, London 1988, ISBN 0-333-46635-7 (reprint of the London 1957 edition).
    • A crazy laugh . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1988, ISBN 3-499-42844-X (former title: The Laughter of the Murderer ).
  • The Progress of a Crime . House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-921-9 (reprint of the London 1960 edition).
    • In the end it was all for nothing. 3. Edition. Goldmann, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-442-01119-1 (EA Munich 1962).
  • The Killing of Francie Lake . House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-922-7 (reprint of the London 1962 edition).
  • The End of Solomon Grundy . Papermac Books, London 1988, ISBN 0-333-47324-8 (reprint of the London 1964 edition).
    • Decision in cross-examination . Rowohlt, Reinbek 1990, ISBN 3-499-42866-0 (reprint of the Munich 1971 edition).
  • The Belting Inheritance . House of Stratus. London 2001, ISBN 0-7551-2814-1 (EA London 1965).
  • The Blackheath Poisonings. A victorian murder mystery . Penguin, London 1988, ISBN 0-14-005171-6 (reprint of the London 1978 edition).
  • The Name of Annabel Lee . Macmillan, London 1988, ISBN 0-333-35171-1 (EA London 1983).
    • By the name of Annabel Lee. 2nd Edition. Goldmann, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-442-05247-5 (EA Munich 1983).
  • The Criminal Comedy of the Contented Couple . Macmillan, London 1985, ISBN 0-333-39718-5 (reprint of the London 1985 edition).
  • Death's Darkest Face . Macmillan, London 1990, ISBN 0-333-51783-0
  • Something Like a Love Affair . Macmillan, London 1992, ISBN 0-333-57381-1 .
  • Playing happy families . Macmillan, London 2004, ISBN 0-333-60698-1 (reprinted by EA London 1994).
  • A sort of virtue. A Political Crime Novel . Macmillan, London 1996, ISBN 0-333-65216-9 .
Crime short stories
  • Eight minutes to kill. In: Ellery Queen (Ed.): Mystery Magazine , 1965, Issue 12, pp. 34-50, ISSN  0013-6328
  • The Kline-Ross File (Kriminal-Erdball-Nove; Volume 770). Marken-Verlag, Cologne around 1960.
  • How to Trap a Crook. In: Ellery Queen (Ed.): Ellery Queen's murdercade. 23 stories from the "Mystery Magazine" . Random House, New York 1977, ISBN 0-394-49674-4 .
  • Great Detectives, Seven Original Investigations , Abrams Books, New York 1981.
  • Somebody Else and other stories . Eurographica, Helsinki 1990, ISBN 951-9371-52-4 .
    • The suburban tigers . Goldmann, Munich 1983.
  • A Julian Symons Sherlockian Duet (Holmesiana; Volume 47). Calabash Press, Ashcroft BC 2000 (content: Did Sherlock Holmes meet Hercule and The affair of the vanishing diamonds ).
Anthologies with stories by Julian Symons
  • Joan Kahn (Ed.): Some Things Fierce and Fatal . Harper & Row, New York 1971.
  • Joan Kahn (Ed.): Open at Your Own Risk . Houghton & Mifflin, Boston, Mass. 1975, ISBN 0-395-20718-5 .
  • Bill Pronzini (Ed.): Great Tales of Mystery and Suspence . Galahad Books, New York 1981, ISBN 0-88365-700-7 .
  • Portraits of The Missing. Imaginary Biographies; Stories . German, London 1991, ISBN 0-233-98718-5 .
Poems
  • Confusions About X . Fortune Press, London 1938.
  • The Second Man , Routledge, London 1943.
Biographies and letters
Historical works
  • Criminal Acts . Cresset Press, London 1955.
  • The General Strike. A Historical Portrait . Cresset Press, London 1957.
  • A Reasonable Doubt. Some criminal cases re-examined . Cresset Press, London 1960.
  • The Thirties. A Dream Revolved . Faber & Faber, London 1975, ISBN 0-571-10716-8 (reprint of the London 1960 edition).
  • Bullers Campaign . House of Stratus, London 2001, ISBN 1-84232-934-0 (reprint of the London 1963 edition).
  • England's Pride. The Story of the Gordon Relief Expedition . White Lion Publ., London 1974, ISBN 0-85617-548-X (reprinted by EA London 1965).
  • Between the Wars. Britain in Photographs. 2nd Edition. Batsford Books, London 1985, ISBN 0-7134-0121-4 (EA London 1972).
Literary studies
  • Crime and Detection. An Illustrated History from 1840 . Panther Books, London 1966.
  • Critical Occasions. Essays . Hamilton Books, London 1966.
  • Bloody Murder. From the Detective Story to the Crime Novel; a history . Pan Books, London 1994, ISBN 0-330-33303-8 (reprinted by EA London 1972).
    • In the beginning there was murder. A story of the detective novel . Goldmann, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-442-05228-9 (reprint of the Munich 1972 edition).
  • The Tell-Tale Heart. The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1981, ISBN 0-14-005371-9 (reprint of the London 1978 edition).
  • Agatha Christie the Art of Her Crimes . Everest House, New York 1981, ISBN 0-89696-144-3 (illustrated by Tom Adams).
  • Critical Observations. Essays . Faber & Faber, London 1981, ISBN 0-571-11688-4 .
  • Crime and Detection Quiz . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78281-9 .
  • 1948 and 1984 (The Orwell Memorial Lecture; Volume 2). Tragora Press, Edinburgh 1984, ISBN 0-902616-98-6 .
  • Makers of the New. The Revolution in Literature, 1912–1939 . German, London 1987, ISBN 0-233-98007-5 .
  • The Thirties and The Nineties . Carcanet Books, Manchester 1990, ISBN 0-85635-902-5 .
  • The Yarmouth murder. In: Richard Glyn Jones (Ed.): Still unsolved. Great true murder cases . Carol Publ., New York 1990, ISBN 0-8184-0540-6 .
  • Does Literature Exist? (The Lurcy Lecture) . Yellow Barn Press, Council Bluffs, Io. 1992.
  • Criminal Practices. Symons on Crime Writing 60s to 90s . Macmillan, London 1994, ISBN 0-333-61446-1 .
Forewords

editor

  • An Anthology of War Poetry . Penguin Books, Harmondsworth 1942.
  • Selected Writings of Samuel Johnson . The Falcon Press, London 1949.
  • Thomas Carlyle . Selected Works, Reminiscences and Letters . University Press, Harvard 1957.
  • Essays & Biographies by Albert JA Symons . Cassell, London 1969, ISBN 0-304-93252-3 .
  • Verdict of Thirteen. A Detection Club Anthology . Harper & Row, New York 1978.
  • Edgar Allan Poe . Selected Tales . OUP, Oxford 1980, ISBN 0-19-281522-9 .
  • New Poetry (Arts Council Anthology; Volume 9). Hutchinson, London 1983, ISBN 0-09-154240-5 .
  • Classic Crime Omnibus. Stories . Penguin, Harmondsworth 1984, ISBN 0-14-006739-6 .
  • The Angry 30s . Eyre Methuen, London 1976, ISBN 0-413-32990-9 .

literature

  • Patricia Craig (Ed.): Julian Symons At 80th Tribute . Eurographica, Helsinki 1992, ISBN 951-9371-70-2 (reprint of the London 1992 edition) (biography, English)
  • John J. Walsdorf, Kathleen Symons (Eds.): Julian Symons Remembered. Tributes from friends . Yellow Barn Press, Council Bluffs Io. 1995 (english)
  • John J. Walsdorf, Bonnie J. Allen: Julian Symons. A bibliography (St. Paul's Bibliographies). Oak Knoll Press, New Castle, Del. 1996, ISBN 1-884718-22-1 (with a contribution by Julian Symons and a foreword by HRF Keating ).

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: The Pipe Dream .
  2. ↑ First published in 1950 as a series in the Evening Standard .
  3. ↑ year of publication unclear, must have been before 1966; Not listed under this title in WorldCat
  4. ↑ Made into a film under the title Arthur! Arthur!
  5. ↑ fantasticfiction gives (without proof) the first publication for the year 1967 . No confirmatory source was found.
  6. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: The Detling Secret .
  7. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: Did Sherlock Holmes Meet Hercule .
  8. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: Bogue's Fortune .
  9. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: The Plain Man .
  10. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: A Criminal Comedy .
  11. ↑ fantasticfiction gives (without proof) the first publication for the year 1966 . No confirmatory source was found.
  12. ↑ Later also in anthologies such as Planned departures (1957), Some fierce and fatal (1971) and others. a.
  13. ↑ year of publication unclear, must have been before 1960; Original title not identified
  14. ↑ Fictional biographies of Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Nero Wolfe, Ellery Queen, Philip Marlowe, Hercule Poirot and Maigret.
  15. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: The Tigers of Subtopia and other stories .
  16. ^ Was created after lecturing at Amherst College in March 1982.
  17. ^ Excerpts from the correspondence of Julian Symopns and his brother AJA Symons.
  18. ↑ For the US domestic market under the title: Mortal Consequences .
  19. ↑ This work was written on the basis of a lecture at London University on February 25, 1983.
  20. ^ Was written after lecturing at Amherst College, March 1992.
personal data
SURNAME Symons, Julian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Symons, Julian Gustave (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British literary critic, detective writer and best-selling author
DATE OF BIRTH May 30, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH November 23, 1994
Place of death Kent