Somerset Maugham Award
1 appearances
Kate Summerscale
ケイト・サマースケール
Keito Samāscale
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1965-09-02 （London）
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Japan → England → Chile → London
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1997-2024
- Affiliations
- The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- Nominations
- 1997 Whitbread Award (biography) shortlist, 2009 Anthony Award shortlist, 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize shortlist
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedales School | — | - | — | 1978-1983 | United Kingdom |
| University of Oxford | — | St John's College | BA (double first) | — | United Kingdom |
| Stanford University | — | Journalism | MA | — | United States |
Bedales School
-
Period:
1978-1983
Year of Graduation:
1983
Country:
United Kingdom
University of Oxford
St John's College
Degree:
BA (double first)
Country:
United Kingdom
double-first
Stanford University
Journalism
Degree:
MA
Country:
United States
MA in journalism
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Somerset Maugham Award | The Queen of Whale Cay | Biography | Society of Authors | winner |
| 1997 | Whitbread Award | The Queen of Whale Cay | Biography | — | shortlist |
| 2008 | Samuel Johnson Prize | The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House | Nonfiction | — | winner |
| 2009 | Anthony Award | The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House | Best Critical/Non-fiction | — | shortlist |
| 2017 | Edgar Award | The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer | Best Fact Crime | Mystery Writers of America | winner |
| 2020 | Baillie Gifford Prize | The Haunting of Alma Fielding | — | — | shortlist |
| 2025 | Crime Writers' Association ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction | The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place | Non-Fiction | Crime Writers' Association | winner |
Somerset Maugham Award
1998
Work:
The Queen of Whale Cay
Category:
Biography
Organization:
Society of Authors
Result:
winner
Whitbread Award
1997
Work:
The Queen of Whale Cay
Category:
Biography
Result:
shortlist
Samuel Johnson Prize
2008
Work:
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House
Category:
Nonfiction
Result:
winner
Anthony Award
2009
Work:
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House
Category:
Best Critical/Non-fiction
Result:
shortlist
Edgar Award
2017
Work:
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer
Category:
Best Fact Crime
Organization:
Mystery Writers of America
Result:
winner
Baillie Gifford Prize
2020
Work:
The Haunting of Alma Fielding
Result:
shortlist
Crime Writers' Association ALCS Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction
2025
Work:
The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place
Category:
Non-Fiction
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 10 (2008) Winner
British Book Awards (The Nibbies)
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (2009) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House
2008 Narrative nonfictionA narrative nonfiction account of the real-life Road Hill House murder investigated by detective Jack Whicher.
CrimeDetectionVictorian era
Adaptations
- [Television drama] The Suspicions of Mr Whicher / Neil McKay, Helen Edmundson (2011)
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer
2016 Narrative nonfictionExplores the mystery of a Victorian child murderer.
CrimeChild murderMental health
The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story
2020 Narrative nonfictionTrue story of a haunting in 1940s London.
SupernaturalFraudPost-war
Adaptations
- [Limited series] The Haunting of Alma Fielding / Charlotte Stoudt, Minkie Spiro
Bibliography
- The Queen of Whale Cay (1997)
- The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Murder at Road Hill House (2008)
- Mrs Robinson's Disgrace (2012)
- The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer (2016)
- The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story (2020)
- The Book of Phobias and Manias (2022)
- The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place (2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Narrative nonfiction with meticulous historical research
- Recurring Motifs
- True crime storiesPsychological depthSocial history
Legacy
Renowned English writer known for bestselling narrative nonfiction on true crimes, winner of multiple literary prizes including Samuel Johnson and Edgar Awards.
In Popular Culture
- Works adapted into ITV dramas