Chorion (company)
Encyclopedia
Chorion Limited is a major international media production company with offices in London, New York and Sydney. The company produces TV shows and feature films, and is best known for the heritage properties included in its portfolio. These include children's characters such as Paddington Bear
, Peter Rabbit
, The Mr. Men
, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
, Olivia
and The Octonauts
. The company also owns the rights to the Agatha Christie
Estate (including the Miss Marple
and Poirot
characters), Raymond Chandler
, and Georges Simenon
.
The company existed initially as a diversified entertainment company, with a portfolio of Intellectual Property rights, live entertainment venues and commercial real estate. From 2002 onwards, the business was refocused towards heritage IP Rights management and media production. Following a management buyout in 2006, Chorion has delivered one new children's TV show every year and launched an associated merchandise range at retail.
. The newly formed company owned a diverse range of assets in the entertainment industry, including the retail complex at the London Trocadero, the rights to the Enid Blyton
literary estate, and several other entertainment venues, bars and nightclubs in the UK.
In June 1998, Chorion acquired the rights to the Agatha Christie
literary estate, with a vision of reviving the crime brand through new TV production and exporting the property to the United States. This acquisition marked the first step towards becoming the media production company it is today. It nonetheless remained a company with a diverse portfolio, as evidenced by the founding of the Tiger Tiger
nightclub on London's Haymarket in late 1998. The Tiger Tiger format was expanded to other cities during 1999
Despite the success of these nightclubs, it became increasingly clear that Chorion's business was made up of two very different divisions: a media production and rights ownership division, and an entertainment venue division. Analysts frequently cautioned that the company would not unlock its full value until these two businesses were demerged. By February 2000, Chorion sold its ownership of the loss-making Trocadero Centre back to its previous owner, Burford Holdings. Later that year, in May 2000, the management announced during an Annual General Meeting their intention to demerge the nightclub and venue business from the media business. After several delays, this process was completed in May 2002 with the venue business spun off into a new company, Urbium PLC
On 4 December 2002, Chief Executive Nick Tamblyn announced his immediate resignation. Waheed Alli was initially appointed as Non-Executive Deputy Chairman. Just a few months later, in April 2003, he stepped up to the position of Chairman. Alli remains Chairman to this day, although he now also holds the position of CEO.
During this period, Chorion produced several new TV productions. In May 2002, the UK's Channel Five announced that it had bought 100 episodes of a new CGI-animated
TV series based on Enid Blyton's Noddy, with the show "Make Way For Noddy" airing in September of that year. In November 2002, the company announced a four-year deal with major UK television network ITV
to produce a few feature-length TV dramas based on the Agatha Christie novels. These began to broadcast on-air at the end of 2003. During this period, development and production also began on an animated cartoon series based on The Famous Five
in collaboration with Disney Channel
in France. The range of newly developed TV Shows began to expand internationally, with Noddy becoming the most recognized children's character in France in 2003, sold to Chinese publishers in 2004, and airing in the United States on PBS in 2005.
As well as the commission and launch of several new TV productions, the period immediately following Waheed Alli's elevation to the Chairmanship was marked by a series of high-profile acquisitions of new properties. In April 2004, after several months of negotiations, Chorion acquired the distribution rights to the Roger Hargreaves
Mr. Men
series for £28 million. This acquisition was followed up in May 2005 with total ownership of the Hargreaves estate and the rights to produce new TV series.
In July 2005, Chorion made a major step towards becoming an international business when it bought the US-based Silver Lining Production company. Along with an office in New York City, this acquisition gave Chorion ownership of the media and merchandise rights to The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
, Olivia by Ian Falconer
, and Max and Ruby
by Rosemary Wells
.
of the company backed by Private Equity Firm
3i Group Plc
. In May 2006, this process was completed when Chorion delisted from the AIM
exchange in to become a private limited company.
With Waheed Alli now serving as Chief Executive and Executive Chairman, Chorion pursued a strategy of developing and launching one new Children's property every year. This development strategy included the launch of a new series of Noddy
in 2007, an animated version of the Mr. Men in 2008, the US launch of Olivia in 2009, and the UK launch of The Octonauts in 2010. Chorion currently plans to launch a new production of Gaspard and Lisa in 2011 and a new CGI-animated version of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit in 2012. This production is a joint venture with US broadcaster Nickelodeon
and British Publisher Frederick Warne, part of the Penguin Group.
The launch of The Octonauts represented a big hit for the company, achieving on-air ratings for the show as number one in the key demographic of Boys aged 4 to 6. Chorion announced in 2010 that they had signed international toy-makers Fisher Price as the Master Toy Partner for the brand, with a full toy line launching in the UK in August 2011.
The development of a new series of Peter Rabbit was made possible by Chorion's acquisition in November 2007 of Copyrights Group, a competing intellectual property management company which owned the rights to the Beatrix Potter
series. The company also owned the rights to Paddington Bear
, Spot the Dog
by Eric Hill
, The Snowman
by Raymond Briggs
, and The Horrible Histories
book series.
There was also speculation, originating in an article in the Sunday Times, that Chorion would be placed under administration, managed by Deloittes PLC The article did not provided any sources for the story.
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
, Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit is a fictional anthropomorphic character in various children's stories by Beatrix Potter. He first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912. Spinoff merchandise includes dishes, wallpaper, and dolls...
, The Mr. Men
Mr. Men
Mr. Men is a series of 49 children's books by Roger Hargreaves commencing in 1971. Two of these books were not published in English. The series features characters with names such as Mr. Tickle and Mr. Happy who have personalities based on their names...
, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's picture book designed, illustrated and written by Eric Carle, first published by the World Publishing Company in 1969, later published by Penguin Putnam. The book follows a caterpillar as it eats its way through a wide variety of foodstuffs before...
, Olivia
Olivia (TV series)
Olivia is a British-American children's animated television series produced by media company Chorion and based on Ian Falconer's books. It is seen on Nick Jr. in the US, Milkshake!, Nick Jr. in the UK and Ireland, and Disney Junior in Latin America and Brazil, Treehouse TV in Canada...
and The Octonauts
The Octonauts
The Octonauts is a Children's TV Series, produced by Silvergate Media for Cbeebies and animated by Brown Bag Films. The TV series was based on the children's books written by Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy of Meomi Design Inc....
. The company also owns the rights to the Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
Estate (including the Miss Marple
Miss Marple
Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in twenty short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous...
and Poirot
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
characters), Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
, and Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
.
The company existed initially as a diversified entertainment company, with a portfolio of Intellectual Property rights, live entertainment venues and commercial real estate. From 2002 onwards, the business was refocused towards heritage IP Rights management and media production. Following a management buyout in 2006, Chorion has delivered one new children's TV show every year and launched an associated merchandise range at retail.
1998–2002: Beginnings
Chorion was created in April 1998, as a new name for the London-based entertainment and retail company, Trocadero PLC. The formation of the new company occurred at the same time as the acquisition of three London entertainment venues from Luminar PLCLuminar Leisure
Luminar Group Holdings plc is a public limited company operating leisure and entertainment venues throughout the United Kingdom. Luminar currently specialises in nightclubs, bars and restaurants but is struggling due to difficult market conditions, it has recently started struggling to pay its...
. The newly formed company owned a diverse range of assets in the entertainment industry, including the retail complex at the London Trocadero, the rights to the Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
literary estate, and several other entertainment venues, bars and nightclubs in the UK.
In June 1998, Chorion acquired the rights to the Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
literary estate, with a vision of reviving the crime brand through new TV production and exporting the property to the United States. This acquisition marked the first step towards becoming the media production company it is today. It nonetheless remained a company with a diverse portfolio, as evidenced by the founding of the Tiger Tiger
Tiger Tiger (nightclub)
Tiger Tiger is a chain of British nightclubs owned by Novus Leisure. The chain has nine branches, located in Aberdeen, Cardiff, Croydon, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Portsmouth...
nightclub on London's Haymarket in late 1998. The Tiger Tiger format was expanded to other cities during 1999
Despite the success of these nightclubs, it became increasingly clear that Chorion's business was made up of two very different divisions: a media production and rights ownership division, and an entertainment venue division. Analysts frequently cautioned that the company would not unlock its full value until these two businesses were demerged. By February 2000, Chorion sold its ownership of the loss-making Trocadero Centre back to its previous owner, Burford Holdings. Later that year, in May 2000, the management announced during an Annual General Meeting their intention to demerge the nightclub and venue business from the media business. After several delays, this process was completed in May 2002 with the venue business spun off into a new company, Urbium PLC
2002–2006: Growth
By 2002, with the company focused solely on media production, Chorion began a period of expansion driven by the acquisition of new literary properties and developing new TV and film to unlock their value. The first steps in this new direction included a series of management changes which placed experienced executives from the world of television at the helm of the company.During this period, Chorion produced several new TV productions. In May 2002, the UK's Channel Five announced that it had bought 100 episodes of a new CGI-animated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
TV series based on Enid Blyton's Noddy, with the show "Make Way For Noddy" airing in September of that year. In November 2002, the company announced a four-year deal with major UK television network ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
to produce a few feature-length TV dramas based on the Agatha Christie novels. These began to broadcast on-air at the end of 2003. During this period, development and production also began on an animated cartoon series based on The Famous Five
The Famous Five (series)
The Famous Five is the name of a series of children's novels written by British author Enid Blyton. The first book, Five on a Treasure Island, was published in 1942....
in collaboration with Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
in France. The range of newly developed TV Shows began to expand internationally, with Noddy becoming the most recognized children's character in France in 2003, sold to Chinese publishers in 2004, and airing in the United States on PBS in 2005.
As well as the commission and launch of several new TV productions, the period immediately following Waheed Alli's elevation to the Chairmanship was marked by a series of high-profile acquisitions of new properties. In April 2004, after several months of negotiations, Chorion acquired the distribution rights to the Roger Hargreaves
Roger Hargreaves
Charles Roger Hargreaves was an English author and illustrator of children's books, notably the Mr. Men and Little Miss series, intended for very young readers...
Mr. Men
Mr. Men
Mr. Men is a series of 49 children's books by Roger Hargreaves commencing in 1971. Two of these books were not published in English. The series features characters with names such as Mr. Tickle and Mr. Happy who have personalities based on their names...
series for £28 million. This acquisition was followed up in May 2005 with total ownership of the Hargreaves estate and the rights to produce new TV series.
In July 2005, Chorion made a major step towards becoming an international business when it bought the US-based Silver Lining Production company. Along with an office in New York City, this acquisition gave Chorion ownership of the media and merchandise rights to The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's picture book designed, illustrated and written by Eric Carle, first published by the World Publishing Company in 1969, later published by Penguin Putnam. The book follows a caterpillar as it eats its way through a wide variety of foodstuffs before...
by Eric Carle
Eric Carle
Eric Carle is a children's book author and illustrator who is most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has been translated into over 50 languages...
, Olivia by Ian Falconer
Ian Falconer
Ian Woodwark Falconer is an American illustrator, children's book author, and costume and set designer for the theater. He has created 30 covers for The New Yorker as well as other publications...
, and Max and Ruby
Max and Ruby
Max and Ruby is a Canadian animated series that debuted in 2002 that is aimed at a preschool audience. Created by children's book author/illustrator Rosemary Wells and based on the world of her Max and Ruby books, the episodes present stories about Max, a rambunctious and determined three-year-old...
by Rosemary Wells
Rosemary Wells
Rosemary Wells is the author of a number of popular children's books, most notably the Max and Ruby series which follows the everyday adventures of sibling bunnies—curious three year old Max and bossy seven year old Ruby. She gets the inspiration for Max and Ruby from her three daughters and the...
.
2006–2011: Take-Private and International Expansion
In early 2006, Alli led a Management BuyoutManagement buyout
A management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
of the company backed by Private Equity Firm
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
3i Group Plc
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
. In May 2006, this process was completed when Chorion delisted from the AIM
Alternative Investment Market
AIM is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a more flexible regulatory system than is applicable to the main market....
exchange in to become a private limited company.
With Waheed Alli now serving as Chief Executive and Executive Chairman, Chorion pursued a strategy of developing and launching one new Children's property every year. This development strategy included the launch of a new series of Noddy
Noddy
Noddy is a character created by British children's author Enid Blyton, originally published between 1949 and 1963. Television shows based on the character have run on British television since 1955 and continue to appear to this day.-Noddy:...
in 2007, an animated version of the Mr. Men in 2008, the US launch of Olivia in 2009, and the UK launch of The Octonauts in 2010. Chorion currently plans to launch a new production of Gaspard and Lisa in 2011 and a new CGI-animated version of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit in 2012. This production is a joint venture with US broadcaster Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
and British Publisher Frederick Warne, part of the Penguin Group.
The launch of The Octonauts represented a big hit for the company, achieving on-air ratings for the show as number one in the key demographic of Boys aged 4 to 6. Chorion announced in 2010 that they had signed international toy-makers Fisher Price as the Master Toy Partner for the brand, with a full toy line launching in the UK in August 2011.
The development of a new series of Peter Rabbit was made possible by Chorion's acquisition in November 2007 of Copyrights Group, a competing intellectual property management company which owned the rights to the Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian...
series. The company also owned the rights to Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
, Spot the Dog
Spot the Dog
Spot the Dog is a series of children's books by Eric Hill, which were later made into a popular children's animation series, known as Spot, for BBC television by David McKee's King Rollo Films....
by Eric Hill
Eric Hill
Eric Gordon Hill OBE is a popular author and illustrator of children's picture books, best known for his character Spot the Dog...
, The Snowman
The Snowman
The Snowman is a children's book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In 1982, this book was turned into a 26-minute animated movie by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling Channel 4. It was first shown on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. The film was...
by Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs
Raymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children...
, and The Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic. They are designed to engage children in history by concentrating on the unusual, gory, or unpleasant. The series has proved exceptionally successful in commercial terms...
book series.
2011: Resignation of Waheed Alli and William Astor
On 24 August 2011, Chairman and CEO Waheed Alli along with Deputy Chairman William Astor announced to the company that they would be resigning their positions following the failure of the company's lenders to reach an agreement to restructure Chorion's debt burdens. This announcement came along with reports that Waheed Alli was planning to buy Chorion back from Private Equity companies, should it become available for sale.There was also speculation, originating in an article in the Sunday Times, that Chorion would be placed under administration, managed by Deloittes PLC The article did not provided any sources for the story.
Children's Brands
- Peter RabbitPeter RabbitPeter Rabbit is a fictional anthropomorphic character in various children's stories by Beatrix Potter. He first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912. Spinoff merchandise includes dishes, wallpaper, and dolls...
and The World of Beatrix PotterBeatrix PotterHelen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian... - Paddington BearPaddington BearPaddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
- The Mr. MenMr. MenMr. Men is a series of 49 children's books by Roger Hargreaves commencing in 1971. Two of these books were not published in English. The series features characters with names such as Mr. Tickle and Mr. Happy who have personalities based on their names...
- The Very Hungry CaterpillarThe Very Hungry CaterpillarThe Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's picture book designed, illustrated and written by Eric Carle, first published by the World Publishing Company in 1969, later published by Penguin Putnam. The book follows a caterpillar as it eats its way through a wide variety of foodstuffs before...
and The World of Eric CarleEric CarleEric Carle is a children's book author and illustrator who is most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has been translated into over 50 languages... - OctonautsThe OctonautsThe Octonauts is a Children's TV Series, produced by Silvergate Media for Cbeebies and animated by Brown Bag Films. The TV series was based on the children's books written by Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy of Meomi Design Inc....
- Olivia
- Gaspard and Lisa
- Noddy
- The Famous FiveThe Famous Five (series)The Famous Five is the name of a series of children's novels written by British author Enid Blyton. The first book, Five on a Treasure Island, was published in 1942....
- The Secret SevenThe Secret SevenThe Secret Seven or "Secret Seven Society" are a fictional group of child detectives created by Enid Blyton. They appear in one of several juvenile detective series Blyton wrote....
- The Works of Enid BlytonEnid BlytonEnid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
- Spot the DogSpot the DogSpot the Dog is a series of children's books by Eric Hill, which were later made into a popular children's animation series, known as Spot, for BBC television by David McKee's King Rollo Films....
- Max and RubyMax and RubyMax and Ruby is a Canadian animated series that debuted in 2002 that is aimed at a preschool audience. Created by children's book author/illustrator Rosemary Wells and based on the world of her Max and Ruby books, the episodes present stories about Max, a rambunctious and determined three-year-old...
- The SnowmanThe SnowmanThe Snowman is a children's book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In 1982, this book was turned into a 26-minute animated movie by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling Channel 4. It was first shown on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. The film was...
and Father Christmas by Raymond BriggsRaymond BriggsRaymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children... - Tracy Beaker
- Maisy MouseMaisy MouseMaisy Mouse is a fictional mouse from the picture book series created by British illustrator Lucy Cousins.Maisy is also an animated series developed by Nickelodeon from 1999–2001 and aired on Noggin from April 1, 2002 to November 2007. As of November 3, 2008, the series airs during weekdays on...
- The Horrible Histories SeriesHorrible HistoriesHorrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic. They are designed to engage children in history by concentrating on the unusual, gory, or unpleasant. The series has proved exceptionally successful in commercial terms...
- Flower FairiesFlower fairiesFlower Fairies are illustrations by Cicely Mary Barker, created during the first half of the 20th century.-The Creator of The Flower Fairies:...
Literary Estates
- The Works of Agatha ChristieAgatha ChristieDame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
including PoirotHercule PoirotHercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
and Miss MarpleMiss MarpleJane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in twenty short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous... - The Works of Raymond ChandlerRaymond ChandlerRaymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
including Philip MarlowePhilip MarlowePhilip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep published in 1939... - The Works of Georges SimenonGeorges SimenonGeorges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
including Inspector Maigret - The Works of Margery AllinghamMargery AllinghamMargery Louise Allingham was an English crime writer, best remembered for her detective stories featuring gentleman sleuth Albert Campion.- Childhood and schooling :...
- The Works of Edmund CrispinEdmund CrispinEdmund Crispin was the pseudonym of Robert Bruce Montgomery , an English crime writer and composer.-Life and work:Montgomery was born in Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire...
- The Works of Nicolas FreelingNicolas FreelingNicolas Freeling, born Nicolas Davidson , was a British crime novelist, best known as the author of the Van der Valk series of detective novels...
- The Works of Dennis WheatleyDennis WheatleyDennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...