Ian Ousby
Ian Ousby was a prominent English scholar and author, born in Marlborough, Wiltshire, in 1947. He pursued higher education at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he completed his bachelor's degree in 1968 and continued to earn an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Cambridge and Harvard, respectively. Ousby began his academic career in England before relocating to the United States, where he became an assistant professor at the University of Maryland. His scholarly contributions primarily focused on literature, history, and culture, particularly in the realm of mystery and detective fiction, with notable works including *Bloodhounds of Heaven* and *Guilty Parties*. Ousby also authored several influential literary guides and was recognized for his research efforts with multiple awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship and the Edith McLeod Literary Prize. He passed away in 2001, leaving behind a legacy as a dedicated educator and a prolific writer in his field.
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Ian Ousby
Author
- Born: June 26, 1947
- Birthplace: Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
- Died: August 6, 2001
Biography
Ian Ousby was born in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, in 1947, the son of Arthur Valentine Ousby, a British soldier, and Betty Lettice Grace Green Ousby. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Magdalene College at Cambridge University in 1968, at which time he traveled to the United States on a Fulbright travel grant. He earned his M.A. from Cambridge University in 1972, followed by a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1973.
Returning to England, Ousby lectured and tutored at the University of Durham from 1974 to 1975. Later that year, he moved to the United States to be an assistant professor of English at the University of Maryland. He eventually became an associate professor of English, a position he held until he died of cancer in 2001.
Ousby wrote prolifically about literature, history, and culture. Some of his books focused on mystery and detective literature, such as Bloodhounds of Heaven: The Detective in English Fiction from Godwin to Doyle (1976), Guilty Parties: A Mystery Lover’s Companion (1997), and The Crime and Mystery Book (1997). He also was the author of An Introduction to Fifty American Novels (1979), The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English, (1988), and Cambridge Guide to Fiction in English (1998).
Ousby was the recipient of two faculty research awards from the University of Maryland and a 1980-1981 Guggenheim fellowship. He won the Edith McLeod Literary Prize in 1997, and the following year he received a Stern Silver PEN Award for Nonfiction for his book Occupation: The Ordeal of France, 1940-1944 (1998).