Gavin Black
Gavin Black, born Oswald Morris Wynd in 1915, was a notable adventure and suspense novelist with a diverse and impactful life story. Raised in Japan by missionary parents, he returned to Scotland for his education before joining the Scots Guard during World War II. His proficiency in Japanese led him to serve in British Intelligence, but he was captured and spent three harrowing years in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. It was during this challenging period that he began to write seriously, a pursuit that would define his career.
After the war, Black briefly lived in the United States before settling permanently in Scotland, where he contributed to various magazines and published over thirty novels under both his birth name and his pseudonym, Gavin Black. His works often drew on his experiences in the Far East, reflecting a deep appreciation for Japanese culture despite the trauma he endured during the war. Among his notable works is "Suddenly at Singapore," his first thriller released in 1960, and "The Ginger Tree," which was adapted into a television film. Black's literary contributions have been recognized internationally, with translations in seven languages, and he received accolades such as the Doubleday Prize for his debut novel. His writing career, which spanned nearly fifty years, showcased a blend of adventure and personal experience, resonating with readers worldwide.
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Subject Terms
Gavin Black
Writer
- Born: July 4, 1913
- Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
- Died: July 21, 1998
- Place of death: Scotland
Biography
Adventure and suspense novelist Gavin Black was born Oswald Morris Wynd in 1915. Black spent his first eighteen years in his birthplace, Japan, with his missionary parents, William and Anna Wynd. The family returned to their native Scotland, where Black began attending the University of Edinburgh. He remained at the university for four years before leaving to join the Scots Guard, where his expertise on the Japanese language and culture gained him a position with the British Intelligence Corps. The author was serving in this capacity during World War II when he was captured by enemy forces. He served three years in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps in Hokkaido and Malaya. He and his fellow captives endured atrocities that affected the writer greatly even after his release. Ironically, it was during captivity that he began writing seriously.
After his release, Black briefly lived in the United States before permanently relocating back to Scotland. During this period, he contributed short stories to various American, European, and British magazines. He penned over thirty novels throughout his writing career under his birth name and under his more-commonly known pseudonym, Gavin Black. His experiences in the Far East both before and after World War II set the pace for most of his writing. Despite his experiences in the prison camps, he retained his love of the Japanese culture and people. He had previously published numerous novels as Oswald Morris Wynd when his first Gavin Black thriller, Suddenly at Singapore, was released in 1960. After that, the author also wrote for television and radio, and his novel The Ginger Tree (1977) was made into a television film. His work was read throughout the world and a number of his adventures and thrillers were translated into seven languages. Black won the Doubleday Prize for his first novel, Black Fountains (1947). He belonged to the Crime Writers Association and Society of Authors. Gavin Black’s writing career spanned almost fifty years, and he lived about as many adventures as he penned.