Phyllis Dorothy James, Baroness James of Holland Park, (3 August 1920 – 27 November 2014), known professionally as P. D. James, was an English novelist and

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

. Her rise to fame came with her series of detective novels featuring the police commander and poet,

Adam Dalgliesh Adam Dalgliesh (pronounced "dal-gleash") is a fictional character who is the protagonist of fourteen mystery novels by P. D. James; the first being James's 1962 novel ''Cover Her Face''. He also appears in the two novels featuring James's oth ...

Life and career

James was born in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, the daughter of Sidney Victor James, a tax inspector, and his wife, Dorothy Mary James. She was educated at the British School in

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

and Cambridge High School for Girls. Her mother was committed to a mental hospital when James was in her mid-teens. She had to leave school at the age of sixteen to work to take care of her younger siblings, sister Monica, and brother Edward, because her family did not have much money and her father did not believe in higher education for girls. She worked in a tax office in Ely for three years and later found a job as an assistant stage manager for the Festival Theatre in Cambridge.''Time To Be in Earnest'', p. 20 She married Ernest Connor Bantry White (called "Connor"), an army doctor, on 8 August 1941. They had two daughters, Clare and Jane. White returned from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

mentally ill and was institutionalised. With her daughters being mostly cared for by Connor's parents, James studied hospital administration, and from 1949 to 1968 worked for a hospital board in London. She began writing in the mid-1950s, using her maiden name ("My genes are James genes"). Her first novel, '' Cover Her Face'', featuring the investigator and poet

New Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London' ...

, was published in 1962. Dalgliesh's last name comes from a teacher of English at Cambridge High School and his first name is that of Miss Dalgliesh's father. Many of James's mystery novels take place against the backdrop of UK bureaucracies, such as the criminal justice system and the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

, in which she worked for decades starting in the 1940s. Two years after the publication of ''Cover Her Face'', James's husband died on 5 August 1964.''Time To Be in Earnest'', p. 115 Prior to his death, James had not felt able to change her job: "He onnorwould periodically discharge himself from hospital, sometimes at very short notice, and I never knew quite what I would have to face when I returned home from the office. It was not a propitious time to look for promotion or for a new job, which would only impose additional strain. But now fter Connor's deathI felt the strong need to look for a change of direction." She applied for the grade of Principal in the Home Civil Service and held positions as a civil servant within several sections of the Home Office, including the criminal section. She worked in government service until her retirement in 1979. On 7 February 1991, James was created a

as Baroness James of Holland Park, of

Southwold Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is ...

in the County of Suffolk. She sat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

. She was an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

and a lay patron of the Prayer Book Society. Her 2001 work, ''

Death in Holy Orders ''Death in Holy Orders'' is a 2001 detective novel in the Adam Dalgliesh series by P. D. James. Setting The novel is mainly set in and around an Anglo-Catholic theological college, Saint Anselm's, on the windswept coast of East Anglia. It pro ...

'', displays her familiarity with the inner workings of church hierarchy. Her later novels were often set in a community closed in some way, such as a publishing house, barristers' chambers, a theological college, an island or a private clinic. '' Talking About Detective Fiction'' was published in 2009. Over her writing career, James also wrote many essays and short stories for

periodicals A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also exampl ...

and

anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

, which have yet to be collected. She revealed in 2011 that ''The Private Patient'' was the final Dalgliesh novel. As guest editor of

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...

's ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' programme in December 2009, James conducted an interview with the Director General of the BBC,

Mark Thompson Mark Thompson may refer to: Sports * Mark Thompson (American football) (born 1994), American football player * Mark Thompson (baseball) (born 1971), baseball player * Mark Thompson (footballer) (born 1963), former Australian rules football prem ...

, in which she seemed critical of some of his decisions. Regular ''Today'' presenter Evan Davis commented that "She shouldn't be guest editing; she should be permanently presenting the programme." In 2008, she was inducted into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame at the inaugural

ITV3 ITV3 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first launched on Monday 1 November 2004 at 9pm, replacing Plus (Granada). ITV3 is the sixth-largest UK television channel ...

Crime Thriller Awards. In August 2014, James was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' opposing

Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. ...

in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue. James' main home was her house on Holland Park Avenue, the area from which she took her title; she also owned homes in Oxford and Southwold. James died at her home in Oxford on 27 November 2014, aged 94. She is survived by her two daughters, Clare and Jane, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Film and television

During the 1980s, many of James's mystery novels were adapted for television by

Anglia Television ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated b ...

for the ITV network in the UK. These productions have been broadcast in other countries, including the US on the PBS network. Roy Marsden played Adam Dalgliesh. According to James in conversation with Bill Link on 3 May 2001 at the Writer's Guild Theatre, Los Angeles, Marsden "is not my idea of Dalgliesh, but I would be very surprised if he were." The BBC adapted ''

'' in 2003, and ''

The Murder Room ''The Murder Room'' is a 2003 detective novel and the 12th in the Adam Dalgliesh series by P. D. James. It takes place in London, particularly the Dupayne Museum on the edge of Hampstead Heath in the London Borough of Camden. Plot The Dupayne ...

'' in 2004, both as one-off dramas starring Martin Shaw as Dalgliesh. In '' Dalgliesh'' (2021),

Bertie Carvel Robert Hugh Carvel (born 6 September 1977) is a British actor. He has twice won a Laurence Olivier Award: for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Miss Trunchbull in '' Matilda the Musical'', and for Best Actor in a Suppor ...

starred as the titular, enigmatic detective–poet. Six episodes, shown as three two-parters, premiered on

Acorn TV The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...

on 1 November 2021 in the United States followed by a Channel 5 premiere on 4 November in the United Kingdom. Her novel '' The Children of Men'' (1992) was the basis for the feature film ''

Children of Men ''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel ''The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredited ...

'' (2006), directed by

Alfonso Cuarón Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Great Expectations'' (1998), the c ...

and starring

Clive Owen Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series ''Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, ...

and

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

.Children of Men
at IMDB Despite substantial changes from the book, James was reportedly pleased with the adaptation and proud to be associated with the film. A three episode adaptation, Death Comes to Pemberley, written by Juliette Towhidi, was made by Origin Pictures for

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

. It was first shown in the UK over three nights from 26 December 2013 as part of the BBC's Christmas schedule and stars

Anna Maxwell Martin Anna Maxwell Martin (born Anna Charlotte Martin; 27 May 1977),Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1984–2006 listed birth name as ''Anna Charlotte Martin''; Registration year 1977; Registration District Beverley, Yorkshire som ...

as Elizabeth, Matthew Rhys as Mr Darcy, Jenna Coleman as Lydia and Matthew Goode as Wickham.

Books

Novels

Adam Dalgliesh mysteries #'' Cover Her Face'' (1962) #'' A Mind to Murder'' (1963) #'' Unnatural Causes'' (1967) #'' Shroud for a Nightingale'' (1971) #'' The Black Tower'' (1975) #'' Death of an Expert Witness'' (1977) #'' A Taste for Death'' (1986) #''

Devices and Desires ''Devices and Desires'' is a 1989 detective novel in the Adam Dalgliesh series by P. D. James. It takes place on Larksoken, a fictional isolated headland in Norfolk. The title comes from the service of Morning Prayer in the 1662 Book of Common P ...

'' (1989) #''

Original Sin Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 ...

'' (1994) #''

A Certain Justice ''A Certain Justice'' is an Adam Dalgliesh novel by P. D. James, published in 1997. A three episode 1998 TV mini-series was made based upon the novel. Plot summary Venetia Aldridge is a brilliant criminal lawyer who is set to take over as the ...

'' (1997) #''

'' (2001) #''

'' (2003) #'' The Lighthouse'' (2005) #'' The Private Patient'' (2008) Cordelia Gray mysteries *'' An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'' (1972) *''

The Skull Beneath the Skin ''The Skull Beneath The Skin'' is a 1982 detective novel by P. D. James, featuring her female private detective Cordelia Gray. The novel is set in a reconstructed Victorian castle on the fictional Courcy Island on the Dorset coast and center ...

'' (1982) Miscellaneous novels *'' Innocent Blood'' (1980) *'' The Children of Men'' (1992) *'' Death Comes to Pemberley'' (2011) Short stories *"Moment of Power" (1969), first published in ''Ellery Queen's Murder Menu'' (collected as "A Very Commonplace Murder" in ''The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories'', 2016) *"The Victim" (1973), first published in ''Winter's Crimes 5'', ed. Virginia Whitaker (collected in ''Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales'', 2017) *"Murder, 1986" (1975), first published in ''Ellery Queen's Masters of Mystery'' *"A Very Desirable Residence" (1976), first published in ''Winter's Crimes 8'', ed. Hilary Watson (collected in ''Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales'', 2017) *"Great-Aunt Ellie's Flypapers" (1979), first published in ''Verdict of Thirteen'', ed. Julian Symons (collected as "The Boxdale Inheritance" in ''The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories'', 2016) *"The Girl Who Loved Graveyards" (1983), first published in ''Winter's Crimes 15'', ed. George Hardinge (collected in ''Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales'', 2017) *"Memories Don't Die" (1984), first published in ''Redbook'', July 1984 *"The Murder of Santa Claus" (1984), first published in ''Great Detectives'', ed. D. W. McCullough (collected in ''Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales'', 2017) *"The Mistletoe Murder" (1991), first published in ''The Spectator'' (collected in ''The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories'', 2016) *"The Man Who Was 80" (1992), first published in ''The Man Who'', later revised as "Mr. Maybrick's Birthday" c. 2005 (collected as "Mr. Millcroft's Birthday" in ''Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales'', 2017) *"The Part-time Job" (2005), first published in ''The Detection Collection'', ed. Simon Brett *"Hearing Ghote" (2006), first published in ''The Verdict of Us All'', ed. Peter Lovesey. An earlier version of the story ("The Yo-Yo") written in 1996 was later published in ''Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales'' in 2017. *"The Twelve Clues of Christmas" (collected in ''The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories'', 2016) Omnibus editions *''Crime Times Three'' (1979), later reprinted as ''Three Complete Novels'' (1988), comprising ''Cover Her Face'', ''A Mind to Murder'', and ''Shroud for a Nightingale'' *''Murder in Triplicate'' (1980), later reprinted as ''In Murderous Company'' (1988), comprising ''Unnatural Causes'', ''An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'', and ''The Black Tower'' *''Omnibus'' (1982), comprising ''Unnatural Causes'', ''Shroud for a Nightingale'' and ''An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'' *''Trilogy of Death'' (1984), comprising ''Innocent Blood'', ''An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'', and ''The Skull Beneath the Skin'' *''A Dalgliesh Trilogy'' (1989), comprising ''Shroud for a Nightingale'', ''The Black Tower'', and ''Death of an Expert Witness'' *''A Second Dalgliesh Trilogy'' (1993), comprising ''A Mind to Murder'', ''A Taste for Death'', and ''Devices and Desires'' *''An Adam Dalgliesh Omnibus'' (2008), comprising ''A Taste for Death'', ''Devices and Desires'', and ''Original Sin''

Non-fiction

*'' The Maul and the Pear Tree: The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, 1811'' (1971), with Thomas A. Critchley *''Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography'' Faber & Faber, London 1999 *'' Talking About Detective Fiction'' (2009)

TV and film adaptations

Adam Dalgliesh series

* '' Death of an Expert Witness'' (1983) * '' Shroud for a Nightingale'' (1984) * '' Cover Her Face'' (1985) * '' The Black Tower'' (1985) * '' A Taste For Death'' (1988) * ''

'' (1991) * '' Unnatural Causes'' (1993) * '' A Mind to Murder'' (1995) * ''

'' (1997) * ''

'' (1998) * ''

'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * '' Dalgliesh'' (2021)

Other adaptations

* '' An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'' (1982, 1997–1998, 1999–2001) * ''

'' (feature film) (2006) * '' Death Comes to Pemberley'' (2011)

Selected awards and honours

Honours

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, 1983 * Associate Fellow of

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the old ...

, 1986 *

Life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

age, Baroness James of Holland Park, of

in the County of Suffolk, 7 February 1991 *

Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elec ...

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

* President of the

Society of Authors The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. , it represents over 12,000 members and ass ...

1997–2013 Honorary doctorates *

University of Buckingham , mottoeng = Flying on Our Own Wings , established = 1973; as university college1983; as university , type = Private , endowment = , administrative_staff = 97 academic, 103 support , chanc ...

, 1992 *

University of Hertfordshire The University of Hertfordshire (UH) is a public university in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The university is based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield Technical College, was founded in 1948 and was ident ...

, 1994 *

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, 1995 *

University of Essex The University of Essex is a public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the ancient arms attributed to the Kingdom of Es ...

, 1996 *

University of Durham , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills ( Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_cha ...

, 1998 *

University of Portsmouth , mottoeng = Let us follow the Light , established = 1870 (Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art) , type = Public , budget = £282.5 million (2020/21) , chancellor ...

, 1999 *

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...

, 1993 Honorary fellowships *

St Hilda's College, Oxford St Hilda's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college is named after the Anglo-Saxon Saint, Hilda of Whitby and was founded in 1893 as a hall for women; it remained a women's college until 20 ...

, 1996 *

Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college statu ...

, 2000 *

, 2000 * Kellogg College, Oxford *

Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge Lucy Cavendish College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college is named in honour of Lucy Cavendish (1841–1925), who campaigned for the reform of women's education. History The college was founded in 1965 by fe ...

, 2012

Awards

* 1971 Best Novel Award,

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

(runner-up): ''Shroud for a Nightingale'' * 1972

Crime Writers' Association The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) is a specialist authors’ organisation in the United Kingdom, most notable for its Dagger awards for the best crime writing of the year, and the Diamond Dagger awarded to an author for lifetime achievement. T ...

(CWA) Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction: ''Shroud for a Nightingale'' * 1973 Best Novel Award, Mystery Writers of America (runner-up): ''An Unsuitable Job for a Woman'' * 1976 CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction: ''The Black Tower'' * 1986 Mystery Writers of America Best Novel Award (runner-up): ''A Taste for Death'' * 1987 CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction: ''A Taste for Death'' * 1987 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger (lifetime achievement award) * 1992 Deo Gloria Award: ''The Children of Men'' * 1992 The Best Translated Crime Fiction of the Year in Japan, '' Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! 1992'': ''Devices and Desires'' * 1999 Grandmaster Award, Mystery Writers of America * 2002 WH Smith Literary Award (shortlist): ''Death in Holy Orders'' * 2005 British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year (shortlist): ''The Murder Room'' * 2010 Best Critical Nonfiction Anthony Award for ''Talking About Detective Fiction'' * 2010 Nick Clarke Award for interview with

Director-General of the BBC The director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and (from 1994) editor-in-chief of the BBC. The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC (for the period of 1927 to 2007) and then t ...

whilst guest editor of ''

'' radio programme.

Interviews

*
''The Guardian'', 4-3-01
Accessed 2010-09-15
''The Sunday Herald'' newspaper (U.K.), 13-9-08
Accessed 2010-09-15
CBC Radio hour-long interview by Eleanor Wachtel, 2000
Accessed 2 Aug. 2020
''The Globe and Mail'' (Canada), 30-1-09
Accessed 2010-09-15

Accessed 2010-09-15

Accessed 2010-09-15
''The American Spectator'' magazine (U.S.), 4-1-10
Accessed 2010-09-15
Extended audio discussion on Death Comes to Pemberley for the Faber website. Recorded October 2011.

Video interview discussing Death Comes to Pemberley. Filmed October 2011.

References

External links

The British Council's Contemporary Writers
Accessed 2016-08-03
Faber and Faber (U.K.), publisher
Accessed 2010-09-15
Random House (U.S.), publisher
Accessed 2010-09-15

Accessed 2010-09-15 * *
"P.D. James (Baroness James of Holland Park OBE JP)"
Fellows Remembered, The Royal Society of Literature. {{DEFAULTSORT:James, P. D. 1920 births 2014 deaths Anglo-Catholic writers Anthony Award winners BBC Governors British mystery writers Cartier Diamond Dagger winners Conservative Party (UK) life peers Edgar Award winners English Anglo-Catholics English crime fiction writers English women novelists Fellows of Girton College, Cambridge Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Literary peers Macavity Award winners Members of the Detection Club Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Southwold Pseudonymous women writers Women mystery writers Women science fiction and fantasy writers Writers from Oxford 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers Presidents of the Society of Authors