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Phyllis Dorothy James

ピー・ディー・ジェイムズ

Phyllis Dorothy James

Pen Names: P. D. James（Author name used for detective novels）, Baroness James of Holland Park（Formal title after being created a life peer）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1920-08-03 （Oxford, England）
Died
2014-11-27 （Oxford, England） age 94
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Religion
Church of England (Anglican)

Career

Occupations
novelist, crime writer, former civil servant, essayist
Active Years
1950-2014
Affiliations
Crime Writers' Association (CWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA)
Memberships
Crime Writers' Association, Mystery Writers of America (honorary)

Awards

CWA Silver Dagger
1971
Work: Shroud for a Nightingale
Organization: Crime Writers' Association (CWA)
Result: 受賞
CWA Silver Dagger
1975
Work: The Black Tower
Organization: Crime Writers' Association (CWA)
Result: 受賞
CWA Silver Dagger
1986
Work: A Taste for Death
Organization: Crime Writers' Association (CWA)
Result: 受賞
CWA Diamond Dagger
1987
Category: Lifetime achievement
Organization: Crime Writers' Association (CWA)
Result: 受賞
DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire)
1983
Organization: UK government
Result: 叙勲
MWA Grand Master Award
1999
Category: Lifetime achievement
Organization: Mystery Writers of America (MWA)
Result: 受賞
Life peerage (Baroness James of Holland Park)
1991
Organization: British honours system
Result: 叙爵

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Cover Her Face

1962 crime fiction 224 pages

Introduces Adam Dalgliesh in a rural murder mystery involving complex social relationships and a tightly plotted investigation.

murderinterpersonal relationsclass
Translations
  • Cover Her Face

Shroud for a Nightingale

1971 crime fiction 256 pages

Set in a nursing school where a series of murders occur, combining medical workplace drama with detailed investigative procedure.

medical settingguilt and responsibilityethics
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] TV adaptation (based on Shroud for a Nightingale) (1982)
Translations
  • Shroud for a Nightingale

The Black Tower

1975 crime fiction 256 pages

A murder at a convalescent home; past secrets and interpersonal tensions are central to the unraveling of the crime.

secrets of the pastageingethics
Translations
  • The Black Tower

A Taste for Death

1986 crime fiction 320 pages

Centers on a double murder on an island and the complex social and moral issues surrounding it.

moralitysocial issuesjustice
Translations
  • A Taste for Death

The Children of Men

1992 dystopian fiction 256 pages

A dystopian novel set in a near-future world of human infertility, exploring humanity, hope, and social collapse.

dystopiahuman naturehope and despair
Adaptations
  • [film] Children of Men (film) / Alfonso Cuarón (2006)
Translations
  • The Children of Men

Death Comes to Pemberley

2011 mystery / literary continuation 352 pages

A crime-novel continuation set in the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, blending classic literature and detective fiction.

dialogue with classic literaturesin and atonementsocial appearances
Translations
  • Death Comes to Pemberley

Bibliography

  • Cover Her Face (1962)
  • A Mind to Murder (1963)
  • Unnatural Causes (1967)
  • Shroud for a Nightingale (1971)
  • The Black Tower (1975)
  • A Taste for Death (1986)
  • The Children of Men (1992)
  • Death Comes to Pemberley (2011)

Adaptations

  • Children of Men (2006 film)
  • TV adaptation of Shroud for a Nightingale (1982)

Translations of Works

  • Many works have been translated into Japanese and published by publishers such as Hayakawa Publishing.

Style & Themes

Literary Style
precise, classically structured detective plottingdeep psychological characterizationemphasis on social and moral themes
Recurring Motifs
hospitals and medical settingsbureaucracy and professional rolesethics of death and guilt

Legacy

P. D. James is regarded as one of Britain's leading crime writers, acclaimed for her meticulous plotting and incorporation of social and moral issues. Honoured with awards such as the CWA Diamond Dagger and recognised by state honours, she achieved distinction in both literature and public life.

Academic Societies

  • Crime Writers' Association (related)

In Popular Culture

  • The 2006 film adaptation of The Children of Men brought the novel's world to a wide popular audience.

Trivia

  • Her experience working in public institutions such as the NHS and the Home Office influenced her depiction of bureaucracy and institutional settings.
  • She was appointed DBE in 1983 and created a life peer as Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991.
  • The Children of Men was adapted into the film Children of Men in 2006.