A. J. Quinnell
Encyclopedia
A. J. Quinnell was the pen name
of the English
thriller novelist Philip Nicholson. He is best known for his novel Man on Fire, which has been adapted to film twice, most recently in 2004
featuring Denzel Washington
.
and in Denmark
.
When the author was preparing to publish his first book, Man on Fire
, he wanted to keep his real identity a secret. During a conversation in a bar, his agent (who is also J. K. Rowling
's agent) told him he could use a pseudonym. The author chose "Quinnell" after rugby union
player Derek Quinnell
and "A. J." from the initials of the bartender's son.
The author's best-known creation was the character of Marcus Creasy, an American
-born former member of the French Foreign Legion
. The Creasy novels are cult favorites in Japan
.
Man on Fire was adapted to film twice, in 1987
and 2004
. This has resulted in a wider demand for Quinnell's books, especially those featuring Creasy (see Bibliography below).
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
thriller novelist Philip Nicholson. He is best known for his novel Man on Fire, which has been adapted to film twice, most recently in 2004
Man on Fire (2004 film)
Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987....
featuring Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
.
Life and work
Nicholson traveled throughout his life and several of the minor characters in his books are based on real people that he encountered in his travels. Nicholson was married three times; his last wife, Elsebeth Egholm, is a Danish mystery novelist. The couple maintained residences on the island of GozoGozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
and in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
When the author was preparing to publish his first book, Man on Fire
Man on Fire
Man on Fire is a 1981 thriller novel by the English novelist Philip Nicholson, writing as A. J. Quinnell. The plot features his popular character Creasy, an American-born former member of the French Foreign Legion, in his first appearance.-Plot:...
, he wanted to keep his real identity a secret. During a conversation in a bar, his agent (who is also J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
's agent) told him he could use a pseudonym. The author chose "Quinnell" after rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player Derek Quinnell
Derek Quinnell
Derek Leslie Quinnell , won 23 rugby union caps for Wales both as a lock-forward and as a number eight.Educated at Coleshill Secondary Modern School, Llanelli, Derek Quinnell first played for Llanelli RFC in 1967 and made his international debut for Wales against France in 1972...
and "A. J." from the initials of the bartender's son.
The author's best-known creation was the character of Marcus Creasy, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born former member of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. The Creasy novels are cult favorites in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Man on Fire was adapted to film twice, in 1987
Man on Fire (1987 film)
Man on Fire is a 1987 French-Italian film based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was filmed in 2004.-Plot:...
and 2004
Man on Fire (2004 film)
Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987....
. This has resulted in a wider demand for Quinnell's books, especially those featuring Creasy (see Bibliography below).
External links
- A.J. Quinnell Fan Site
- My visit to Gozo and A. J. Quinnell
- Obituary from Times of Malta
- "A.J. Quinnell." at ShueishaShueishais a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
(archive)