Who Is Peter James?
International best-selling crime thriller novelist published in 33 languages, screen writer and producer

Global representation:
Carole Blake, Blake Friedmann
carole@blakefriedmann.co.uk

I. Biography and interests
[II. Career  III. Film Production]

Born: Brighton, Sussex, England

Educated: Charterhouse, then Ravensbourne Film School.

Animals: Bertie, Phoebe, a German Shepherd with a gorgeous temperament, unless you are unfortunate enough to have been born as a rabbit... (see photo at right - with the late Bertie on left) or a burglar, and Oscar, a rescue labrador/border collie cross, who is so chilled out at times we think he secretly does drugs... And our latest addition, Coco.

Mother: The late Cornelia James, Glovemaker to the Queen

Home: In Sussex, formerly a Georgian manor house, near Ditchling, built on the site of Roman ruins, haunted by four ghosts. Now on a historic site between Lewes and Glynde. Was occupied until recently by a whole bunch of ghosts of victims of the Battle of Lewes, but they have now been politely evicted. In Notting Hill, London, an apartment on the site of a former cinema. No spectral screenings yet during the night, but always hoping...

Awards:

Sounds of Crime Award for best abridged novel, 2010
- "Dead Tomorrow" - shortlisted

Sounds of Crime Award for best unabridged novel, 2010
- "Dead Tomorrow" - shortlisted

Awarded Honorary Doctorate by the University of Brighton, 2009
Made a Doctor of Letters in recognition of his "ongoing contribution to the arts and to the status, infrastructure and culture of Brighton and Hove."

CWA Dagger In The Library, 2009
- shortlisted

Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, 2009
- shortlisted - Dead Man's Footsteps

ITV Crime Thriller Author Of The Year 2008
- shortlisted - Not Dead Enough

Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2008
- shortlisted - Not Dead Enough

Le Grand Prix de littérature policère
- shortlisted - La Mort Leur Va Si Bien

Prix SNCF du polar 2007
- shortlisted La Mort Leur Va Si Bien
(French translation of Looking Good Dead)

Richard & Judy Galaxy British Book Awards -
Crime Thriller Of The Year, 2007. Shortlisted. Looking Good Dead

Le Prix Coeur Noir 2007 - winner. Comme Une Tombe

Le Prix Polar International award, 2006 - winner.
Comme Une Tombe (French translation of Dead Simple)

Krimi-Blitz - winner, 2005.
Peter James voted Best Crime Writer of the year in Germany.

Rose D'Or nomination at the 2004 Montreux Television Festival
for Bedsitcom

Public Awareness Of Science Award 2000. Runner Up. Alchemist

BAFTA nomination. The Merchant Of Venice, (Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Ralph Fiennes), which had a Royal Premiere in the presence of HRH The Prince Of Wales on 29th November 2004

Honorary Fellowship, FHS Emeritus award by the Hypnotherapy Society, 1999 "in recognition of the sympathetic and well researched portrayal in your works of hypnotherapy in particular and alternative medicine in general."

Sitges International Horror Film Festival, 1974
- Best Foreign Film, Dead of Night

Esquire Magazine International College Film Festival, 1969
- The Island

Charterhouse school poetry prize, 1967

Interests:
Cars, classic and modern: My first car was a 1929 Rolls Royce hearse. Among the favourites I have owned are a 72 drophead Boss engined Mustang, a 1963 fixed head 3.8 Jaguar E-Type, a 1971 drophead V12 E-Type (the sixth one built) and an Aston Martin DB7. The most unreliable was a 1975 Triumph Stag. My most recent baby was a 2004 Aston Martin Vanquish (see photos at right), which I owned from new, and was my favourite of all-time, despite the fact that it demented me with its unreliabilty to the point where I eventually, reluctantly sold it back to Aston in sheer frustration.

I traded the Aston Vanquish for an Aston DB9 convertible, which I did not like at all - I found it cramped, noisy, and it flexed horribly on bends. I bought a black Mercedes SL 55AMG, on Jeremy Clarkson's recommendation - which was totally wicked! Quicker than the Vanquish, with more space, but sadly not much more reliable - a constant pain with electrical problems. And it did not have the Aston's "soul". When you drive an Aston everyone on the road is nice to you - everyone, even the most resolute of greens, seems to love them. But people look less lovingly at the Merc, like it belongs to a successful drugs dealer.

Peter's Bentley that caught fire!

At the beginning of 2007 I took delivery of a Bentley Continental GT. I fell in love with the looks of these cars the moment they first appeared. To me they were pure sculpture on wheels, and next to my DB7, one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

But my joy of owning this car lasted a mere 18 months - before it caught fire as Helen and I were driving in it on our way to a charity event at Glyndebourne Opera House (see earlier blog!) In the long ensuing saga, the car was off the road for a staggering 12 weeks.

I got fed up in the end and bought another one, the massively uprated Bentley Continental GT Speed, a car with real attitude! It has has 600 BHP, will do 203 mph and handles as sharply as a Porsche.

Peter's Bentley Continental GT Speed

Motor racing: One of my maddest passions is motor racing. I passed my ARDS Briitish racing drivers licence test back in 2004 (after failing at the first attempt and scaring the instructor witless when I spun a Lotus Elise at 110mph on Copse corner at Silverstone). Some friends called it yet another of my many mid-life crises! Some, less charitably, said it demonstrated that I would do just about anything to promote my books! But all of them were united when the saw the car I was racing. They said, a What???

I race a 2CV Citroen in the annual championship series, the high-point of the season being the annual 24 Hour Endurance Race for 2CV Citroens at Snetterton. Click here for photos of my latest marathon race and click here for photos of my first trip around the track.

But watch this space folks -- because I harbour even more ambitious motor racing plans. Today the pond (Well the Germans do call 2CVs "ducks") tomorrow, Le Mans....

Aircraft: I used to own a Second World War Mitchell B25 bomber.

Science, Medicine & the Paranormal are my principal interests above all else (on which I have lectured extensively, and have hosted my own radio show on BBC Scotland).

Sports:
Skiing: Was selected to train for the British Olympic ski team when I was 15, but my parents, (probably very wisely), felt it would be too disruptive to my education. I still ski a lot.

Tennis: All year round. Play least badly in deep snow.

Golf: I'm useless, although I once played four rounds in one day for a bet for charity (and won!). Have now given my name to "The Peter James Golf Classic" an annual charity golf day at Haywards Heath Golf Club, Sussex, in aid of Action Medical Research.

Running: I run seven days a week, between 2-5 miles.

[ Read more: II. Career  III. Film Production ]