Dick Francis the author of over 42 novels set in the racing industry has died at his home in the Grand Cayman. A former jockey who rode 8 times in the Grand National including for the late Queen Mother in 1956. His latest novel Even Money was published in 2009 along with his son Felix. He also published his along previous two Dead Heat (2007) and Silks (2008).
His first book was his autobiography The Sport of Queens (1957) that led to him becoming the racing correspondent for the London Sunday Express, a position he held for 16 years. Dick Francis won the Edgar Award for best novel three times for the novels winning for Forfeit in 1970, Whip Hand in 1981, and Come To Grief in 1996. The books Odds Against, Flying Finish and Blood Sport were also nominated. In 1979 he was awarded the CWA’s Gold Dagger Award for his novel Whip Hand and 10 years later in 1989 he was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award. He was the fourth recipient of the award. The Mystery Writers Association awarded him the Grand Master Award in 1996 the highest honour bestowed by the MWA. He was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000. In 2003 he was further honoured by being awarded the Gumshoe Award’s Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award. In The Times list of 50 greatest crime writers that was published in 2008 Dick Francis was listed at number 40.
Further information about his death can be found here and here on the BBC website and in the Daily Telegraph.
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