Literary Birthday – 27 May – Sarah Caudwell

Sarah Caudwell was born on 27 May 1939 and died on 28 January 2000.

Sarah Caudwell Quotes

1. The trouble with real life is that you don’t know whether you’re the hero or just some nice chap who gets bumped off in chapter five to show what a rotter the villain is without anyone minding too much. (The Sirens Sang of Murder)
2. It seems to us that the readers who want fiction to be like life are considerably outnumbered by those who would like life to be like fiction. (The Sirens Sang of Murder)
3. Success is important only to the extent that it puts one in a position to do more things one likes to do. (BrainyQuote)
4. Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can – there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did. (BrainyQuote)

Sarah Caudwell was a British barrister and the author of witty, highly literary detective novels. Her series of four murder stories centred on a group of young barristers practising in Lincoln’s Inn, narrated by Hilary Tamar, a professor of medieval law whose gender is never specified. The books are called ‘legal whodunits’ and were written over 20 years. Their primary setting is the second floor of 62 New Square at Lincoln’s Inn, where four young junior barristers have their chambers. The Shortest Way to Hades was nominated for the Best Novel award at the 1986 Anthony Awards. Caudwell won the 1990 award for The Sirens Sang of Murder in the same category. Although she published only four novels, she developed a cult following among mystery readers and writers because of her unusual blend of classic detective fiction, comedy, and legal intrigue. Caudwell loved crossword puzzles and often reached the finals of The Times crossword competition, where the standards were famously demanding. Her plots were intricate, clever, and immensely satisfying, like expertly constructed crosswords.

Source for photograph: Wikipedia, fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sarah_Caudwell.jpg

by Amanda Patterson

Are you interested in more authors’ birthdays? Please click here: Literary Birthday Calendar