The Curious Case of Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. Sayers was an English poet, novelist, and classical language student. She was renowned for her mystery novels and translations of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
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The Curious Case of Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy Leigh Sayers was born on June 13, 1893, in Oxford, the only child of Rev. Henry Sayersand his wife Helen. Her father was at the time the headmaster of Christ Church Cathedral School, and she was born at the headmaster’s home. She was homeschooled up to the age of 15 when she attended school in Salisbury. It was there she received a scholarship to Somerville College, Oxford.
In 1915, she received first-class honours in modern languages. Following a brief teaching role, she left academic life to work at the publisher Blackwell’s in Oxford, collaborated with Eric Whelpton at L’École des Roches in Normandy, and worked as a copywriter at the advertising agency S. H. Benson in London between 1922 and 1929.
In 1923, she released her first novel, “Whose Body,” which introduced amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. In total Wimsey appears in fourteen volumes of novels and short stories. Writing full-time, she rose to become the doyen of crime authors and, eventually, head of the Detection Club.
In 1924 Sayers had a child with Bill White, who turned out to be already married. Her son, John Antony was raised by a foster mother. In 1926, she wed journalist Arthur Fleming. After her father passed away in 1928 in his final parish, Christchurch in the Fens, she purchased a cottage in Witham, Essex, for her mother. She bought the house next door, to combine the two homes into one after her mother passed away a year later. She lived and worked there until her death in 1957.
The Wimsey series was supposed to end with Gaudy Night, but she was persuaded to put Lord Peter on stage in Busman’s Honeymoon. After the play’s successful December 1936 premiere, she stopped writing crime fiction, with the exception of the play’s book and three short tales. She gratefully went to the work for which she had been trained after gaining financial stability.
She was captivated by the stage. For the Canterbury Festival, she was requested to create a play called The Zeal of Thy House. Also significant was The Man Born to be King, which was created at the BBC’s request and aired during children’s hour. Her portrayal of Christ’s voice in contemporary English sparked outrage and transformed the genre of religious drama. She was encouraged by opposition. When it came to her work, she would never compromise.
She wrote Beginning Here and The Mind of the Maker after WW2, in which she draws comparisons between the Divine creator and humanity. Sayers enjoyed solving riddles, exploring new avenues for knowledge, and engaging in many arguments that she handled with humor and wit. She was in high demand as a lecturer because of her commanding presence, brilliant mind, and reasoned delivery.
Sayers had always been interested in Dante’s writings. Indeed, she educated herself ancient Italian and translated The Divine Comedy, a translation which is unparalleled in popularity and clarity. She managed to finish translating the Song of Roland from the old French as well. However, while working on Dante’s third volume, Paradiso, she tragically passed away on December 17, 1957, from heart failure.
Best Dorothy L. Sayers Books to Read
The Man Born to be King
From December 1941 until October 1942, the BBC broadcast a series of radio dramas written by Dorothy L. Sayers. Against the backdrop of World War II, the plays presented twelve episodes in the life and ministry of Jesus, from the visit of the magi to his death and resurrection, collectively affirming the kingship of Christ.
Noted for their use of colloquial English as part of Sayers’s effort to bring the Gospels to life in a new way for listeners, the plays were both controversial and incredibly successful, bolstering the morale of the country during the war. They were subsequently published in 1943, and they stand among Sayers’s most beloved works to this day.
Gaudy Night
Harriet Vane has never dared to return to her old Oxford college. Now, despite her scandalous life, she has been summoned back . . .
At first she thinks her worst fears have been fulfilled, as she encounters obscene graffiti, poison pen letters and a disgusting effigy when she arrives at sedate Shrewsbury College for the ‘Gaudy’ celebrations. But soon, Harriet realises that she is not the only target of this murderous malice – and asks Lord Peter Wimsey to help.
Busman’s Honeymoon
They plan to have a quiet country honeymoon. Then Lord Peter Wimsey and his bride Harriet Vane find the previous owner’s body in the cellar.
Set in a country village seething with secrets and snobbery, this is Dorothy L. Sayers’ last full-length detective novel. Variously described as a love story with detective interruptions and a detective story with romantic interruptions, it lives up to both descriptions with style.
The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers
A collection of letters written by the great mystery novelist to friends and family provides revealing glimpses of Sayers’s childhood, undergraduate career at Oxford, secret love affair and illegitimate child, mystery writing, and more.
Strong Poison
Can Lord Peter Wimsey prove that Harriet Vane is not guilty of murder – or find the real poisoner in time to save her from the gallows?
Impossible, it seems.
The Crown’s case is watertight. The police are adamant that the right person is on trial. The judge’s summing-up is also clear. Harriet Vane is guilty of the killing her lover. And Harriet Vane shall hang.
But the jury disagrees.
If you enjoyed The Curious Case of Dorothy L. Sayers, check out Agatha Christie: The Queen of Crime
