Peter James (writer)


Peter J James is an international British writer of crime fiction. He was born in Brighton, the son of Cornelia James, the former glovemaker to Queen Elizabeth II.

Education and early career

James was educated at Charterhouse and went on to Ravensbourne Film School. For a brief period of time whilst at film school James worked as Orson Welles' house cleaner. Subsequently, he spent several years in North America, working as a screenwriter and film producer, beginning in Canada in 1970 working first as a gofer, then writer, on the children's television series Polka Dot Door.

Personal life

His interests include criminology, religion, science and the paranormal, as well as food and wine. He writes a monthly column for Sussex Life magazine. He is also a self-confessed "petrol head," having owned many fast cars over the years, including four Aston Martins, AMG and Brabus Mercedes, a Bentley Continental GT Speed and two classic Jaguar E-Types. He holds an international racing licence, and has in the past competed in the Britcar series in both a Honda Accord and a former British Touring Car Championship SEAT Toledo. He currently races three historic cars, and his 1965 BMW 1800 Ti, with his co-driver Steve Soper, came 10th overall in the St Mary's Trophy in the Goodwood Revival in 2013. James is continuing to race this BMW as well as his 1958 Fiat Abarth Evocation and his 1958 Austin A35.
He is currently married to Lara James. His first, 19-year marriage was to Georgina Wilkin, from 1979 until 1998.

Work

Literature

James has written 35 novels, including the International best-selling crime thriller series featuring Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, which have sold 20 million copies worldwide and have given him fifteen consecutive UK Sunday Times number ones, as well as number ones in Germany, France, Russia and Canada, and he is also a New York Times best-seller. James's books have been translated into 37 languages. In the UK and US they are published by Macmillan Publishers. In 1993 Penguin Books published his novel Host on two floppy discs as has been called the world's first electronic novel; a copy of it is in the Science Museum. James has written supernatural thrillers, spy fiction, science-based thrillers, a children's novel, and the novella The Perfect Murder, which was 15 weeks at number one on iBooks and 45 weeks in their top 10, was adapted by Shaun McKenna into a stage play which had a smash hit tour in 2014 and returned to stage in 2016. Subsequent stage adaptations of his novels, Dead Simple, Not Dead Enough and The House on Cold Hill have also had sell out national tours. His fifth stage adaptation, Looking Good Dead starts on national tour in Jan 2021. The Roy Grace series is currently being produced by ITV with John Simm playing the role of Roy Grace. The novel Perfect People is also being filmed as an eight-part mini-series later this year. James has served two consecutive terms as chairman of the UK Crime Writers Association, and is Overseas Vice-President of International Thriller Writers in the USA.
James was the Programming Chair for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in 2016, part of the Harrogate International Festivals portfolio.
In 2017, James wrote the foreword for the U.K. edition of The Crime Book, with American crime author Cathy Scott writing the foreword for the U.S. edition. The nonfiction book, a volume in the Big Ideas Simply Explained series, was released by Dorling Kindersley in April 2017 in the U.K. and May 2017 in the U.S..

Film

James has been involved in 26 movies in writer and/or producing roles. His 1993 novel Host was adapted into the 1998 television movie Virtual Obsession. Other films on which he is credited include: Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, The Neptune Factor, Blue Blood, Malachi's Cove, The Blockhouse starring Peter Sellers, Spanish Fly starring Terry-Thomas and Leslie Phillips, A Different Loyalty starring Sharon Stone, The Bridge of San Luis Rey starring Robert De Niro, and The Statement starring Michael Caine.
In 2005 The Merchant of Venice, directed by Michael Radford and for which James was Executive Producer, had a Royal Premiere in the presence of Charles, Prince of Wales and received a BAFTA Award nomination. In 2006 the film also won the Silver Ribbon for Best Production Design from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.

Other work

James is Patron of the Sussex Police Charitable Trust, Patron of Brighton & Hove Samaritans, Patron of the Brighton Greyhound Owners Association Retired Greyhound Trust, Patron of Brighton and Hove Independent Mediation Service, Patron of Relate in Sussex, Patron of Terrys Cross House, Patron of Little Green Pig, National Co-Patron of Neighbourhood Watch, Co-Patron of Sussex Crimestoppers, Honorary Patron for the South Mid Sussex Community First Responders, Vice-President of The Old Police Cells Museum in Brighton. He is an Ambassador for the University of Brighton, and a Martlets Hospice Champion. He supports Action Medical Research. He also supports and works with The Reading Agency, a charity with a mission to give everyone an equal chance in life by helping people become confident and enthusiastic readers.

Awards