Biography
Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE, born Winston Grime (30 June 1908 – 10 July 2003), was an English novelist best known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote numerous other works, including contemporary thrillers, period novels, short stories, non-fiction and plays. Winston Graham was the author's pseudonym until he changed his name by deed poll from Grime to Graham on 7 May 1947. Graham was born in Victoria Park, Manchester, on 30 June 1908. As a child, Winston contracted pneumonia, and on medical advice was educated at a local day school rather than Manchester Grammar School which his father had in mind for him. Graham's father, Albert Grime, was a prosperous tea importer and grocer, but became incapacitated by a stroke.
When he was 17 years old, Winston moved to Perranporth, Cornwall, where he lived for 34 years. He had wanted to be a writer from an early age and, following the death of his father, he was supported by his mother while he wrote novels at home in longhand and attempted to get them published.During his youth, Graham was a keen tennis player and recorded in his diaries how many sets he played each day. He lived in Perranporth from October 1925 until January 1960, then briefly, during the summer of 1960, in the south of France before finally settling in East Sussex. He was a member of the Society of Authors from 1945, chairman of the Society's Management Committee from 1967 to 1969 and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.In September 1939, Graham married Jean Williamson, having first met her in 1926 when she was 13 years old. She often helped Graham with ideas for his books, and the character of Demelza, in his Poldark series, was based in part on her. Graham's daughter said, "Father was the author but my mother helped with the details because she was very observant. She saw everything and remembered it all." Jean died in 1992. They had two children, economist Andrew Graham and Rosamund Barteau.
Graham died on 10 July 2003, aged 95, at his house, 'Abbotswood' in Buxted, East Sussex. His autobiography, Memoirs of a Private Man, was published in September of that year.
Filmography
all 10
Movies 9
Writer 8
TV Shows 1
Creator 1
Metropolitan Opera Live — Marnie (2018)
Poldark (2015)
Poldark (1996)
The Walking Stick (1970)
Mord nach der Oper (1969)
Marnie (1964)
Carnival of Crime (1962)
Fortune Is a Woman (1957)
Night Without Stars (1951)
Take My Life (1947)
Ratings
Information
Known ForWriting
GenderMale
Birthday1908-06-30
Deathday2003-07-10 (95 years old)
Birth PlaceManchester, United Kingdom
ReligionAnglicanism
ChildrenAndrew Graham
CitizenshipsUnited Kingdom
AwardsFellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Gold Dagger
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