Francis Durbridge

Francis Henry Durbridge (25 November 1912 - 11 April 1998) was an English playwright and author born in Hull. Educated at Bradford Grammar School in Yorkshire, he was encouraged to write by his English teacher, and continued to do so whilst studying English at Birmingham University. After graduating in 1933, he worked for a short time as a stockbroker's clerk, before selling a radio play to the BBC at the age of 21. In 1938, he created the character Paul Temple, a crime novelist and detective.