Corlett

WILLIAM CORLETT (1938 - 2005)

Corlett was born in Saltburn and found a happy career in the theatre. He later began writing novels for young adults, beginning with his trilogy, The Gate of Eden (later adapted by him for television with Maurice Denham starring), The Land Beyond and Return to the Gate (1974-75). These books, along with The Bloxworth Blue (1984), The Summer of the Haunting (1993) and The Secret Line (1995), were published in the US and translated into many languages, including Japanese, German, Spanish and Hebrew.

Corlett had a talent for friendship and an intense appreciation of the good things of this life: travel, food, nature, food, clothes, food (including Northumberland sausages). He could talk about the meaning of life and recipes in the same phone-call.

It was Julia MacRae, then at Hamish Hamilton, who published Corlett's first novels, and, in 1978, he and John Moore proposed, and she agreed to publish, a series of books under the general title Questions, exploring eastern philosophies and religions. This was at the beginning of a time of awakening interest in alternative belief systems, and the books were significant in relation to the debate about the teaching of religious education in schools. This subject occupied Corlett's thoughts throughout his life, and he and John continued their dialogue to the end.

Corlett never ceased writing for young people, but he found time for two more adult novels. Two Gentlemen Sharing (1997), a very funny book, enjoyed considerable success in Britain, and was stupendously popular in France, where window displays were of Harry Potter size and splendour. Kitty (2004), about a stray puppy in Spain, was Corlett's last novel before his death. His first adult novel, Now and Then, won the Dillon's First Fiction prize in 1995. He won an Emmy for his television adaptation of his Magician's House books (1990-92), and over three decades he was nominated many times for Emmy, Bafta and further Writers' Guild awards.

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
WILLIAM CORLETT (1938 - 2005) Corlett was born in Saltburn and found a happy career in the theatre. He later began writing novels for young adults, beginning with his trilogy, The Gate of Eden (later adapted by him for television with Maurice Denham starring), The Land Beyond and Return to the Gate (1974-75). These books, along with The Bloxworth Blue (1984), The Summer of the Haunting (1993) and The Secret Line (1995), were published in the US and translated into many languages, including Japanese, German, Spanish and Hebrew. Corlett had a talent for friendship and an intense appreciation of the good things of this life: travel, food, nature, food, clothes, food (including Northumberland sausages). He could talk about the meaning of life and recipes in the same phone-call. It was Julia MacRae, then at Hamish Hamilton, who published Corlett's first novels, and, in 1978, he and John Moore proposed, and she agreed to publish, a series of books under the general title Questions, exploring eastern philosophies and religions. This was at the beginning of a time of awakening interest in alternative belief systems, and the books were significant in relation to the debate about the teaching of religious education in schools. This subject occupied Corlett's thoughts throughout his life, and he and John continued their dialogue to the end. Corlett never ceased writing for young people, but he found time for two more adult novels. Two Gentlemen Sharing (1997), a very funny book, enjoyed considerable success in Britain, and was stupendously popular in France, where window displays were of Harry Potter size and splendour. Kitty (2004), about a stray puppy in Spain, was Corlett's last novel before his death. His first adult novel, Now and Then, won the Dillon's First Fiction prize in 1995. He won an Emmy for his television adaptation of his Magician's House books (1990-92), and over three decades he was nominated many times for Emmy, Bafta and further Writers' Guild awards.
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