Eric Wright (writer)
Encyclopedia
Eric Wright is a professor and Canadian
writer of mystery
novels.
Wright was born on Kennington Park Road, in South London
, England
. He is the son of seamstress Caroline (Curnow), and carter Joseph Wright. Wright was born to a large poor family of ten children. After growing up in Lambeth
, he immigrated to Canada in 1951.
He attended the University of Manitoba
where he completed his B.A. (1957),and the University of Toronto
where he received his M.A. (1963). Until his retirement Wright taught English at Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto (1958–89). Wright now continues to live in Toronto
, Ontario
with his wife and two daughters.
Wright's books have won numerous awards over the years. Four of his novels have been awarded the Arthur Ellis Award
for Best Crime Novel. Among them The Night the Gods Smiled, which also received the 1984 City of Toronto Book Award
, and Britain's John Creasy Memorial Award for a best crime drama. Smoke Detector and Death in the Old Country are also books that have received the Arthur Ellis Award. In 1998, Wright received the Derrick Murdoch Award for lifetime contributions to Canadian crime writing. His novel The Kidnapping of Rosie Dawn went on to receive the Edgar Award
.
In a book review of another one of Wright’s novels Moodie’s Tale, Wright has been described as having “created a protagonist who can conduct the reader through the convoluted maze of academic life”. Moodie’s Tale (1994) follows the adventurous career of a young Cambridge graduate with an M.A. from Simcoe University. It has been said that “it would not be all that surprising… if Moodie’s Tale became an underground handbook for anyone contemplating—or currently enmeshed in – an academic career”.
Wright's memoir Always Give a Penny to a Blind Man covers most of his life, all the way from when he was a child growing up poor in London, to when he immigrated to Canada
and began University. His "early life experiences [are said to have] contributed to his...gift for fiction". Over the years Wright has built up an international reputation among mystery lovers.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer of mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
novels.
Wright was born on Kennington Park Road, in South London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is the son of seamstress Caroline (Curnow), and carter Joseph Wright. Wright was born to a large poor family of ten children. After growing up in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, he immigrated to Canada in 1951.
He attended the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
where he completed his B.A. (1957),and the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where he received his M.A. (1963). Until his retirement Wright taught English at Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto (1958–89). Wright now continues to live in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
with his wife and two daughters.
Wright's books have won numerous awards over the years. Four of his novels have been awarded the Arthur Ellis Award
Arthur Ellis Awards
The Arthur Ellis Awards are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing....
for Best Crime Novel. Among them The Night the Gods Smiled, which also received the 1984 City of Toronto Book Award
City of Toronto Book Award
The Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the city of Toronto to the author of the year's best fiction or non-fiction book or books "that are evocative of Toronto"....
, and Britain's John Creasy Memorial Award for a best crime drama. Smoke Detector and Death in the Old Country are also books that have received the Arthur Ellis Award. In 1998, Wright received the Derrick Murdoch Award for lifetime contributions to Canadian crime writing. His novel The Kidnapping of Rosie Dawn went on to receive the Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
.
Reviews
Wright is best known for his series of police procedurals, which features Metropolitan Toronto police inspector Charlie Salter. The Charlie Salter Mysteries are "noteworthy for Wright's lucid and agreeably laconic style".In a book review of another one of Wright’s novels Moodie’s Tale, Wright has been described as having “created a protagonist who can conduct the reader through the convoluted maze of academic life”. Moodie’s Tale (1994) follows the adventurous career of a young Cambridge graduate with an M.A. from Simcoe University. It has been said that “it would not be all that surprising… if Moodie’s Tale became an underground handbook for anyone contemplating—or currently enmeshed in – an academic career”.
Wright's memoir Always Give a Penny to a Blind Man covers most of his life, all the way from when he was a child growing up poor in London, to when he immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and began University. His "early life experiences [are said to have] contributed to his...gift for fiction". Over the years Wright has built up an international reputation among mystery lovers.
Charlie Salter Mysteries
- The Night the Gods Smiled (1984)
- Smoke Detector (1984)
- Death in the Old Country (1985)
- A Single Death (1986)
- A Body Surrounded by Water (1987)
- A Question of Murder (1988)
- A Sensitive Case (1990)
- Final Cut (1991)
- A Fine Italian Hand (1992)
- Death by Degrees (1993)
- The Last Hand (2002)
Lucy Trimble Brenner Mysteries
- Death of a Sunday Writer (1996)
- Death on the Rocks (1999)
Joe Barley Mysteries
- The Kidnapping of Rosie Dawn (2000)
- The Hemingway Caper (2003)
- A Likely Story (2010)