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Peter Robinson (novelist)

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Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson in March 2010
Peter Robinson in March 2010
Born (1950-03-17) 17 March 1950 (age 74)
Armley, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England[1]
DiedError: Death date (first date) must be later in time than the birth date (second date)
Alma mater
GenreCrime
Notable worksInspector Alan Banks
Notable awards
SpouseSheila Halladay
Website
www.inspectorbanks.com

Peter Robinson (17 March 1950 – 4 October 2022) is a British-born Canadian crime writer. He is best known for his crime novels set in Yorkshire featuring Inspector Alan Banks. He has also published a number of other novels and short stories as well as some poems and two articles on writing.

Life and work

Robinson was awarded a BA Honours Degree in English Literature at the University of Leeds. He then emigrated to Canada in 1974 and took his MA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Windsor, with Joyce Carol Oates as his tutor, then a PhD in English at York University in Toronto.[3] He is best known for the Inspector Banks series of novels set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Eastvale, which have been translated into nineteen languages,[4] but also writes short stories and other novels.

Personal life

Robinson was born in Armley, Leeds,[1] son of Clifford Robinson (a photographer) and Miriam Jarvis (a homemaker).[3] Robinson emigrated to Canada to continue his studies after completing his first degree at the University of Leeds.[5]

Robinson lives in the Beaches area of Toronto[6] with his wife, Sheila Halladay, and he occasionally teaches crime writing at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies. He has taught at a number of Toronto colleges and served as Writer-in-Residence at the University of Windsor, 1992-93.[3]

They have a holiday cottage in Richmond, North Yorkshire.[5]

Awards and honours

In 2020, Robinson received the Grand Master Award from Crime Writers of Canada, and in 2010, he received their Derrick Murdoch Award.[7] Two years prior, he had been honoured with the Toronto Public Library Celebrates Reading Award.[4]

Awards and honours for Robinson's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
1988 Gallows View Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
1989 A Dedicated Man Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
1990 The Hanging Valley Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
1990 "Innocence" Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story Winner [8]
1991 Caedmon’s Song (The First Cut) Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
1991 “Innocence” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Winner [7]
1991 Past Reason Hated Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel Winner [8]
1992 Past Reason Hated Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Winner [7]
1993 Wednesday’s Child Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
1994 TORGI Talking Book Award
1995 Final Account Author's Award, Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters
“Lawn Sale” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Finalist [7]
“Summer Rain” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Finalist [7]
Wednesday's Child Edgar Award for Best Novel Finalist [9]
1996 “Carrion” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Finalist [7]
1997 Innocent Graves Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel Winner [8]
1998 Dead Right (Blood at the Root) Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
“The Two Ladies of Rose Cottage” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Finalist [7]
Macavity Award for Best Short Story Winner [10]
1999 Anthony Award for Best Short Story Nominee [11]
2000 In a Dry Season Anthony Award for Best Novel Winner [12]
Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
Barry Award for Best Novel Winner [13]
Edgar Award for Best Novel Finalist [9]
Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel Finalist [10]
"Missing in Action" Edgar Award for Best Short Story Winner [14]
2001 Cold is the Grave Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Winner [7]
In a Dry Season Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière
Martin Beck Award Winner
“Missing In Action” Anthony Award for Best Short Story Nominee [12]
“Murder in Utopia” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Winner [7]
2002 Aftermath Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
The Hanging Valley Spoken Word Bronze Award
2004 The Summer That Never Was (Close To Home) Anthony Award for Best Novel Nominee [12]
Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
2005 Playing with Fire Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel Finalist [10]
2006 Cold is the Grave Palle Rosenkrantz Award
Strange Affair Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel Finalist [10]
2007 Piece of My Heart Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Finalist [7]
Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel Finalist [10]
2009 “Walking the Dog” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Short Story Finalist [7]
2012 Before the Poison Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Winner [7][15]
Martin Beck Award Winner
2017 “The Village That Lost Its Head” Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novella Finalist [7]
2018 Sleeping in the Ground Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel Winner [7]

Publications

Inspector Banks series

Set in the fictional English town of Eastvale in the Yorkshire Dales. Robinson has stated that Eastvale is modelled on Ripon and Richmond and is somewhere north of Ripon, close to the A1 road [sic].[5] A former member of the London Metropolitan Police, Inspector Alan Banks leaves the capital for a quieter life in the Dales. Since 2010 several of the novels have been adapted for television under the series title DCI Banks with Stephen Tompkinson in the title role.[16]

  1. Gallows View (1987)
  2. A Dedicated Man (1988)
  3. A Necessary End (1989)
  4. The Hanging Valley (1989)
  5. Past Reason Hated (1991)
  6. Wednesday's Child (1992)
  7. Dry Bones that Dream (1994) (published in the United States as Final Account)
  8. Innocent Graves (1996)
  9. Dead Right (1997) (published in the United States as Blood at the Root)
  10. In a Dry Season (1999)
  11. Cold is the Grave (2000)
  12. Aftermath (2001)
  13. The Summer that Never Was (2003) (published in the United States as Close to Home)
  14. Playing with Fire (2004)
  15. Strange Affair (2005)
  16. Piece of My Heart (2006)
  17. Friend of the Devil (2007)
  18. All the Colours of Darkness (2008)
  19. Bad Boy (2010)
  20. Watching the Dark (2012)
  21. Children of the Revolution (2013)
  22. Abattoir Blues (2014) (published in the United States as In the Dark Places)[17]
  23. When the Music's Over (2016)
  24. Sleeping in the Ground (2017)
  25. Careless Love (2018)
  26. Many Rivers to Cross (2019)
  27. Not Dark Yet (2021)
  28. Standing in the Shadows (2023)

Other works

Although Caedmon's Song is a standalone novella, it is related to Friend of the Devil, which is also related to Aftermath.

References

  1. ^ a b "Peter Robinson: Armley-born writer returns to roots to help budding authors". Yorkshire Post Newspapers. 16 October 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  2. ^ "About Peter". Inspectorbanks.com. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Peter Robinson". notablebiographies.com. notablebiographies. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Peter Robinson". inspectorbanks.com. Peter Robinson. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Stephenson, Hannah (11 July 2018). "Crime in the blood: creator of DCI Banks comes home". The Yorkshire Post. p. 15. ISSN 0963-1496.
  6. ^ "About Peter". Inspectorbanks.com. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence". Stop, You're Killing Me!. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Award Winners 1984-2005". Crime Writers of Canada. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Category List – Best Novel". Edgar® Awards Info & Database. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Macavity Awards". Mystery Readers International. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Anthonys 1995 - 1999". Bouchercon. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Anthonys 2000 - 2004". Bouchercon. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Barry Awards". Deadly Pleasures. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Category List – Best Short Story". Edgar® Awards Info & Database. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  15. ^ "2012 Winners". Crime Writers of Canada. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  16. ^ "ITV orders six-part run of DCI Banks". Broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  17. ^ "In the Dark Places". HarperCollins. Retrieved 13 March 2022.