Winston Graham - Author of Poldark | Cornwall Guide

Winston Graham - Author of Poldark

Winston Mawdsley Graham was born in Manchester in 1908. In his late teens, he moved with his parents to Perranporth, on the coast of Cornwall. By the time he was twenty-three, he was making a reasonable living from writing. He was best known as the author of the Poldark novels which were made into a hugely popular television series during the seventies. Yet these comprised only a small proportion of his overall work. One of his earlier novels was “Marnie”, which Alfred Hitchcock made into a successful film starring Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren.

During the war years Graham served in the Auxiliary Coastguard Service in Cornwall. He always admitted he had a very lucky war, with many long quiet hours alone on watch. He admitted that this contributed to his good health, although the state of the weather often made him feel that he was on a prolonged sea voyage. The hours alone gave him plenty of time to dream about the books that were to come and it was natural that many of these celebrated his lifelong love of Cornwall.

Winston Graham spent much of his life in Cornwall. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an O.B.E. in 1983. His books have been translated into many languages and the famous Poldark television series was watched in more than twenty countries world wide.

For more information on Winston Graham, visit the Winston Graham &apm; Poldark Literary Society