CWA KAA Gold Dagger
3 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1960) Winner
-
Edition 12 (1966) Winner
-
Edition 24 (1978) Winner
Lionel Davidson
ライオネル・デイヴィッドソン
Raioneru Deividasson
Pen Names:
David Line（Pseudonym for young adult novels）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1922-03-31 （Kingston upon Hull, England）
- Died
- 2009-10-21 （London, England） age 87
- Nationality
- British, English
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- Hull, Yorkshire → London
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1960-1994
- Affiliations
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)
- Memberships
- Crime Writers' Association
- Nominations
- Edgar Award for Best Novel shortlist (1962, The Night of Wenceslas), Anthony Award for Best Novel shortlist (1995, Kolymsky Heights)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Authors' Club Best First Novel Award | The Night of Wenceslas | — | Authors' Club | Won |
| 1960 | Gold Dagger Award | The Night of Wenceslas | — | Crime Writers' Association | Won |
| 1966 | Gold Dagger Award | A Long Way to Shiloh | — | Crime Writers' Association | Won |
| 1978 | Gold Dagger Award | The Chelsea Murders | — | Crime Writers' Association | Won |
| 2001 | Cartier Diamond Dagger | — | 生涯功労賞 | Crime Writers' Association | Won |
Authors' Club Best First Novel Award
1960
Work:
The Night of Wenceslas
Organization:
Authors' Club
Result:
Won
Gold Dagger Award
1960
Work:
The Night of Wenceslas
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
Won
Gold Dagger Award
1966
Work:
A Long Way to Shiloh
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
Won
Gold Dagger Award
1978
Work:
The Chelsea Murders
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
Won
Cartier Diamond Dagger
2001
Category:
生涯功労賞
Organization:
Crime Writers' Association
Result:
Won
Awards & Nominations
Cartier Diamond Dagger
1 appearances
-
Edition 16 (2001) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Night of Wenceslas
1960 Spy thrillerA young Londoner is tricked into a spy mission in Cold War Prague.
EspionageDeceptionCold War
Adaptations
- [Film] Hot Enough for June / Ralph Thomas (1964)
The Rose of Tibet
1962 Adventure novelAn adventure involving exploration in Tibet and hidden secrets.
ExplorationMysteryOrient
A Long Way to Shiloh
1966 Spy thrillerA thriller set in Israel searching for an ancient treasure.
ArchaeologyTreasure huntMiddle East
The Chelsea Murders
1978 Crime thrillerSerial murders in Chelsea.
Serial killerDetection
Adaptations
- [TV series] The Chelsea Murders (1981)
Kolymsky Heights
1994 Spy thrillerExtracting a genius scientist from a secret Siberian institute.
Scientific espionageArcticEscape
Bibliography
- The Night of Wenceslas (1960)
- The Rose of Tibet (1962)
- A Long Way to Shiloh (1966)
- Making Good Again (1968)
- Smith's Gazelle (1971)
- The Sun Chemist (1976)
- The Chelsea Murders (1978)
- Under Plum Lake (1980)
- Kolymsky Heights (1994)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Intricate plotsTongue-in-cheek humourSuspenseful narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- EspionageExotic locationsDeception
Health
-
Long illness晩年Led to death in 2009
Legacy
Renowned British spy novelist, winner of Gold Dagger three times, Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.
In Popular Culture
- Regarded as a classic in spy fiction
Trivia
- Son of a Polish-Jewish immigrant tailor, one of nine children.
- Left school early, worked at The Spectator and Keystone Press Agency.
- Served in Royal Navy Submarine Service during WWII.