Edgar Allan Poe Awards
1 appearances
Edith Ngaio Marsh
エディス・ナイオ・マーシュ
Edith Ngaio Marsh
Pen Names:
Kowhai（Pseudonym used for some early short fiction (e.g. "The Night Train from Grey")）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1895-04-23 （Christchurch, New Zealand）
- Died
- 1982-02-18 （Christchurch, New Zealand） age 86
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Christchurch, New Zealand → London, United Kingdom
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Theatre director, Actress, Painter
- Active Years
- 1916-1982
- Affiliations
- The Group (Christchurch art association), Canterbury University College Drama Society (Dramasoc), Detection Club, New Zealand Players
- Memberships
- Detection Club
- Influenced By
- Writers/movement of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, Contemporary female detective writers (e.g. Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers)
- Influenced
- Subsequent New Zealand and English-language crime writers, Stella Duffy (completed Marsh's unfinished novel 'Money in the Morgue')
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Margaret's College, Christchurch | — | — | — | 初等・中等教育（創設期の生徒の一人） | New Zealand |
| Canterbury College / Ilam School of Fine Arts (University of Canterbury) | — | Painting / Art School | — | 1910年代（美術を学ぶ） | New Zealand |
St Margaret's College, Christchurch
Period:
初等・中等教育（創設期の生徒の一人）
Country:
New Zealand
One of the first pupils when the school was founded
Canterbury College / Ilam School of Fine Arts (University of Canterbury)
Painting / Art School
Period:
1910年代（美術を学ぶ）
Country:
New Zealand
Studied painting before moving into theatre and writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) | — | — | The Crown (King's Birthday Honours, New Zealand list) | 受章 |
| 1966 | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) | Services to the arts, especially writing and theatre production | — | The Crown (Queen's Birthday Honours) | 受章（ダム） |
| 1962 | Honorary doctorate (University of Canterbury) | — | — | University of Canterbury | 授与 |
| 1978 | Grand Master Award (Mystery Writers of America) | Lifetime achievement as a detective novelist | — | Mystery Writers of America | 受賞（生涯功労） |
| 1989 | New Zealand Authors stamp issue (honour) | — | — | New Zealand Post | 顕彰（切手） |
| 2015 | Honoured with a Google Doodle | — | — | 顕彰 |
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
1948
Organization:
The Crown (King's Birthday Honours, New Zealand list)
Result:
受章
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)
1966
Work:
Services to the arts, especially writing and theatre production
Organization:
The Crown (Queen's Birthday Honours)
Result:
受章（ダム）
Honorary doctorate (University of Canterbury)
1962
Organization:
University of Canterbury
Result:
授与
Grand Master Award (Mystery Writers of America)
1978
Work:
Lifetime achievement as a detective novelist
Organization:
Mystery Writers of America
Result:
受賞（生涯功労）
New Zealand Authors stamp issue (honour)
1989
Organization:
New Zealand Post
Result:
顕彰（切手）
Honoured with a Google Doodle
2015
Organization:
Google
Result:
顕彰
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A Man Lay Dead
1934 Detective fiction / Crime fictionMarsh's first novel, centred on a murder at a country house party; the debut of the Roderick Alleyn series.
Golden Age detective conventionsSociety and manners
Vintage Murder
1937 Detective fictionAn Alleyn mystery set in a wine-producing region; one of Marsh's novels set in New Zealand.
Local colourTheatricality
Artists in Crime
1938 Detective fiction / Theatre-relatedSet among painters and theatrical folk; Alleyn meets the painter Agatha Troy in this novel.
Art and artistsTheatre backstage
Adaptations
- [Television] Ngaio Marsh Theatre (TV adaptation) (1977)
- [Television (BBC)] The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (BBC) (1993)
Colour Scheme
1943 Detective fiction / Spy elementsSet in New Zealand; notable for including Māori characters and for incorporating elements of spy fiction and critiques of empire.
Postcolonial critiqueRace and society
Money in the Morgue
2018 Detective fiction (unfinished, completed posthumously)An unfinished manuscript begun by Marsh during WWII, completed by Stella Duffy and published in 2018.
Wartime settingPosthumous completion
Bibliography
- A Man Lay Dead
- Enter a Murderer
- The Nursing Home Murder
- Death in Ecstasy
- Vintage Murder
- Artists in Crime
- Colour Scheme
- Light Thickens
- Money in the Morgue
Adaptations
- Ngaio Marsh Theatre (1977, New Zealand TV series)
- The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (BBC TV adaptations, 1990s)
- Radio adaptations of several novels (BBC and others)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Classic Golden Age detective conventions emphasizing fair-play puzzlesDetailed depictions of theatre and the visual arts
- Recurring Motifs
- Theatre and backstage lifeArtists and paintersBritish society and classNew Zealand landscapes and colonial relations
Legacy
Ngaio Marsh is regarded as one of the leading figures of the Golden Age of detective fiction and a major contributor to New Zealand theatre; her home is preserved as a museum and her works have been adapted for television, radio and other media.
Museums
- Ngaio Marsh House Cashmere, Christchurch, New Zealand (northern slopes of the Port Hills)
- Ngaio Marsh Theatre (University of Canterbury) University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Academic Societies
- Detection Club (member)
Archives
- Ngaio Marsh Collection (materials held in university and local archives)
- Ngaio Marsh House (estate and displays)
In Popular Culture
- BBC television adaptations of the Inspector Alleyn novels (1990s)
- New Zealand Post stamp issue (1989)
- Google Doodle (23 April 2015)
Quotes
-
Marsh's great passion was the theatre.
Source: Wikipedia (summary) -
Ngaio Marsh is regarded as one of the 'Queens of Crime' of the Golden Age of detective fiction.
Source: General critical consensus / reference works
Trivia
- Her birth was not registered until 1900 by her father, causing some uncertainty about the exact birth date.
- She published at least one short piece under the pseudonym 'Kowhai' when young.
- She never married and had no children.
- The Ngaio Marsh Theatre at the University of Canterbury is named in her honour.