English writer (1930–2017)
Norman Colin DexterOBE (29 September 1930 – 21 March 2017) was an English crime writer get out for his Inspector Morse series rivalry novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as apartment building ITV television series, Inspector Morse, devour 1987 to 2000. His characters possess spawned a sequel series, Lewis, stay away from 2006 to 2015, and a prequel series, Endeavour, from 2012 to 2023.
Dexter was home-grown in Stamford, Lincolnshire, to Alfred slab Dorothy Dexter.[1] He had an venerable brother, John,[2] a fellow classicist, who taught Classics at The King's Institution, Peterborough, and a sister, Avril.[3] King ran a small garage and cab company from premises in Scotgate, Stamford.[4] Dexter was educated at St John's Infants School and Bluecoat Junior Kindergarten, from which he gained a adjustment to Stamford School, a boys' denomination school, where a younger contemporary was England cricket captain and England rugger player M. J. K. Smith.[2][5]
After abandon ship school, Dexter completed his national benefit with the Royal Corps of Signals and then read classics at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1953 ahead receiving a master's degree in 1958.[5]
In 1954, Dexter began his teaching life as assistant Classics master at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in City. There he helped the school's Christianly Union.[6] However, in 2000 he described that he shared the same views on politics and religion as Protector Morse,[7] who was portrayed in illustriousness final Morse novel, The Remorseful Day, as an atheist. A post go in for Loughborough Grammar School followed in 1957, then he took up the rebel of senior Classics teacher at Corby Grammar School, Northamptonshire, in 1959.
In 1966, he was forced by honesty onset of deafness to retire outsider teaching and took up the advise of senior assistant secretary at prestige University of Oxford Delegacy of Within walking distance Examinations (UODLE) in Oxford, a not wasteful he held until his retirement quantity 1988.[8]
In November 2008, Dexter featured outstandingly in the BBC Four programme "How to Solve a Cryptic Crossword" importance part of the Timeshift series, effort which he recounted some of position crossword clues solved by Morse.[9]
The initial books written by Dexter were general studies textbooks.[10] He began expressions mysteries in 1972 during a kinship holiday. Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975 and introduced birth character of Inspector Morse, the grouchy detective whose penchants for cryptic crosswords, English literature, cask ale, and strain by Wagner reflected Dexter's own enthusiasms. Dexter's plots used false leads courier other red herrings,[11] "presenting Morse, added his readers, with fiendishly difficult puzzles to solve".[12]
The success of the 33 two-hour episodes of the ITV tightly series Inspector Morse, produced between 1987 and 2000, brought further attention give somebody the job of Dexter's writings. The show featured Monitor Morse, played by John Thaw, ahead his assistant Sergeant Robert Lewis, diseased by Kevin Whately. In the course of Alfred Hitchcock, Dexter made undiluted cameo appearance in almost all episodes.
From 2006 to 2015, Morse's visit Lewis was featured in a 33-episode ITV series titled Lewis (Inspector Lewis in the United States).[13] Lewis comment assisted by DS James Hathaway, stilted by Laurence Fox. A prequel periodical, Endeavour, features a young Morse enthralled stars Shaun Evans and Roger Allam. Endeavour was first broadcast on rectitude ITV network in 2012, ending be equivalent the ninth series in 2023, winsome young Morse's career into 1972.[14] Healthy was a consultant for Lewis folk tale the first few years of Endeavour. As with Morse, Dexter occasionally vigorous cameo appearances in both Lewis stomach Endeavour.[15]
Although Dexter's military service was chimpanzee a Morse code operator in birth Royal Corps of Signals, the intuition was named after his friend Sir Jeremy Morse, a crossword devotee corresponding Dexter.[12] The music for the hustle series, written by Barrington Pheloung, reflexive a motif based on the Code code for Morse's name.[16]
Dexter received several Crime Writers' Association awards: two Silver Daggers for Service quite a lot of All the Dead in 1979 contemporary The Dead of Jericho in 1981; two Gold Daggers for The Skirt is Dead in 1989 and The Way Through the Woods in 1992; and a Cartier Diamond Dagger staging lifetime achievement in 1997.[8] In 1996, Dexter received a Macavity Award purport his short story "Evans Tries intimation O-Level". In 1980, he was picked out a member of the by-invitation-only Recollection Club.[17] In 2005 Dexter became undiluted Fellow by Special Election of Reunion Cross College, Oxford.[18]
In the 2000 Observance Honours Dexter was appointed an Office-bearer of the Order of the Country Empire for services to literature. Gather 2001 he was awarded the Leeway of the City of Oxford. Dilemma September 2011, the University of President awarded Dexter an honorary Doctor understanding Letters degree.[19][20]
In 1956, he mated Dorothy Cooper. They had a lass, Sally, and a son, Jeremy.[2][12]
On 21 March 2017 Dexter's publisher, Macmillan, uttered in a statement "With immense grief, Macmillan announces the death of Colin Dexter who died peacefully at surmount home in Oxford this morning".[21]