Sayers, Dorothy L.

Sayers, Dorothy L.

▪ British writer
in full  Dorothy Leigh Sayers  
born June 13, 1893, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Eng.
died Dec. 17, 1957, Witham, Essex

      English scholar and writer whose numerous mystery stories featuring the witty and charming Lord Peter Wimsey combined the attractions of scholarly erudition and cultural small talk with the puzzle of detection.

      Sayers received a degree in medieval literature from the University of Oxford in 1915; she was one of the first women to graduate from that university. Her first major published work was Whose Body? (1923), a detective novel in which Lord Peter first appeared as a dashing gentleman-scholar. The book was followed by one or two novels a year for about 15 years. Sayers wrote short stories that featured not only Lord Peter but also another detective creation, Montague Egg. She also published an anthology of the detective story, The Omnibus of Crime (1929).

      In her later years Sayers turned from detective fiction to writing theological plays and books such as Creed or Chaos? (1947). She made scholarly translations of Dante's Inferno (1949) and Purgatorio (1955); her translation of the third book, the Paradiso, was incomplete at her death.

Additional Reading
Notable biographies are Ralph E. Hone, Dorothy L. Sayers (1979); James Brabazon, Dorothy L. Sayers (1981); and Barbara Reynolds, Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul (1993). Criticism includes Dawson Gaillard, Dorothy L. Sayers (1981); Barbara Reynolds, The Passionate Intellect: Dorothy L. Sayers' Encounter with Dante (1989); and Catherine Kenney, The Remarkable Case of Dorothy L. Sayers (1990). Barbara Reynolds (ed.), The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers, 5 vol. (1995–2002), compiles correspondence from all periods of the author's life.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Sayers, Dorothy Leigh — (1893 1957)    Born in Oxford, the daughter of a clergyman, she graduated with a first class honors degree in modern languages from Somerville College, Oxford, in 1915, and from 1916 to 1931 she worked as a copy writer in an advertising agency.… …   British and Irish poets

  • Sayers, Dorothy Leigh — (1893–1957)    Novelist, Playwright and Devotional Writer.    Sayers was born in Oxford, the daughter of an Anglican clergyman. She was educated at the University of Oxford and is primarily remembered as the creator of the aristocratic detective …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Sayers, Dorothy L(eigh) — Say·ers (sāʹərz), Dorothy L(eigh). 1893 1957. British writer known for her detective stories, usually featuring the amateur investigator Lord Peter Wimsey. * * * born June 13, 1893, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Eng. died Dec. 17, 1957, Witham, Essex… …   Universalium

  • Sayers, Dorothy L(eigh) — (13 jun. 1893, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Inglaterra–17 dic. 1957, Witham, Essex). Escritora y académica inglesa. En 1915 Sayers se convirtió en una de las primeras mujeres en graduarse en la Universidad de Oxford. Su primera obra importante fue Whose… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Dorothy L. Sayers — Born 13 June 1893(1893 06 13) Oxford, UK Died 17 December 1957(1957 12 17) (aged 64) Witham, Essex, UK Occupation Novelist, playwright, essayist, translator, copywriter, p …   Wikipedia

  • Dorothy L. Sayers — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Dorothy Leigh Sayers (Oxford, 13 de junio de 1893 – Witham, 17 de diciembre de 1957), fue una conocida escritora y traductora británica, estudiosa de lenguas clásicas y modernas y humanista cristiana. Dorothy L.… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Dorothy Sayers — Dorothy Leigh Sayers [ sɛ:ə̯z], auch: [ˈseiəz] (* 13. Juni 1893 in Oxford; † 17. Dezember 1957 in Witham, Essex) war eine englische Schriftstellerin, Essayistin und Übersetzerin. Ihre Kriminalromane, die scharfsinnige, einfühlsame… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sayers (surname) — Sayers is a surname, and may refer to:* Ben Sayers * Dorothy L. Sayers * Foster J. Sayers * Gale Sayers * James Sayers * Joe Sayers * Joseph Sayers * Joseph D. Sayers * Laura Sayers * Peig Sayers * Rena Sayers * Thomas Sayersee also* Sayer …   Wikipedia

  • Dorothy L Sayers — [Dorothy L Sayers] (1893–1957) an English writer. She is famous for her detective stories, such as Strong Poison (1930), in which the main character is Lord Peter Wimsey. She also wrote plays on religious subjects and translated the poetry of… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Dorothy L. Sayers — noun English writer of detective fiction (1893 1957) • Syn: ↑Sayers, ↑Dorothy Sayers, ↑Dorothy Leigh Sayers • Instance Hypernyms: ↑writer, ↑author …   Useful english dictionary

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