Winston Graham

Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE, born Winston Grime, (30 June 1908 – 10 July 2003) was an English novelist best known for the Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall. Winston Graham was the author's pseudonym until he changed his name by deed poll from Grime to Graham on 7 May 1947. He also wrote many other novels, including thrillers and historical novels. 2Biography Graham was born at 66 Langdale Road, Victoria Park, Manchester, on 30 June 1908 at 8 a.m. As a child, Winston contracted pneumonia, and on medical advice was educated at a local day school rather than Manchester Grammar School which his father had in mind for him. Graham's father, Albert Grime, was a prosperous tea importer and grocer, but became incapacitated by a stroke. When he was 17 years old, Winston moved to Perranporth, Cornwall, where he lived for 34 years. He had wanted to be a writer from an early age and, following the death of his father, he was supported by his mother while he wrote novels at home in longhand and attempted to get them published. In September 1939, Graham married Jean Williamson, having first met her in 1926 when she was 13 years old. She often was known to help Graham with ideas for his books, and the character of Demelza, in his Poldark series, was based in part on he