George Bellairs
George Bellairs | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1902 Heywood, UK |
| Died | 1982 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Bank manager, author, detective fiction writer |
| Known for | The Inspector Littlejohn series. |
| Spouse(s) | Gwladys Mabel Roberts |
| Website | https://www.georgebellairs.com |
George Bellairs was the nom de plume of Harold Blundell (1902-1982), a crime writer and bank manager[1] born in Heywood, near Rochdale, Lancashire. He began working for Martins Bank at the age of 15, and stayed there in escalating roles of seniority until his retirement. He then settled in the Isle of Man.
He wrote more than 50 books, most featuring the detective Inspector Thomas Littlejohn, and all with the same publisher. His radio comedy The Legacy was aired in 1951.[2] He also wrote four novels under the alternative pseudonym Hilary Landon. His first novel, Littlejohn on Leave, was published in 1941[3] and his last one, An Old Man Dies, was published close to his death in 1982.[4] He also contributed articles to the Manchester Guardian and to Manx publications such as and received a short review in the print edition of The Spectator in 1958 for his book Corpse at the Carnival.[5] Many of his books were also published by the Thriller Book Club, and several titles have recently been issued in the British Library Crime Classics series.
Harold Blundell served on the boards of The United Manchester Hospitals and Manchester Royal Infirmary. He married Gwladys Mabel Roberts in 1930.[6] She presented his personal papers to the John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester, England.[7]
References[]
- ^ Mark Lawson (28 May 2015). "The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards review – an excellent work of detection". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "Papers of Harold Blundell (George Bellairs) - Archives Hub". archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
- ^ "George Bellairs biography". GeorgeBellairs.com. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ Bellairs, George (10 December 2016). The dead shall be raised; The murder of a quack. London. pp. 7–10. ISBN 978-0-7123-5652-7. OCLC 969394801.
- ^ "It's a Crime". The Spectator Archive. The Spectator.
- ^ Reilly, John, M. (2015). Twentieth Century Crime and Mystery Writers. London: Palgrave Macmillan Limited. ISBN 978-1-349-81366-7. OCLC 1084369094.
- ^ "Papers of Harold Blundell (George Bellairs)". Jisc. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
External links[]
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- English crime fiction writers
- People from Heywood, Greater Manchester
- 1902 births
- 1982 deaths
- 20th-century English novelists
- People educated at Heywood Grammar School
- English male novelists
- 20th-century English male writers
- 20th-century pseudonymous writers
- British novelist stubs