John leCarre author page

John le Carré biography

John le Carré was the pen name of David John Moore Cornwell, a British novelist best known for his espionage fiction. He was born in Poole, Dorset, in 1931.

He studied at the University of Bern and Lincoln College, Oxford, before teaching at Eton College. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he worked for the British intelligence services MI5 and MI6.

His first novel, Call for the Dead, was published in 1961, introducing the character George Smiley. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), achieved international acclaim and won the 1963 Gold Dagger award from the Crime Writers’ Association.

Le Carré went on to publish more than twenty novels, many featuring George Smiley, including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) and Smiley’s People (1979). His works explore the complexities of espionage, betrayal and political conflict. Several have been adapted into films and television series.

His later novels include The Constant Gardener (2001), adapted into an Academy Award-winning film, and A Delicate Truth (2013). His final novel, Agent Running in the Field, was published in 2019.

John le Carré died in Cornwall on 12 December 2020. At the time of his death, his novels had sold more than 60 million copies worldwide.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold won the 1963 Gold Dagger award.