Donald Landels Henderson (28 April 1905 – 18 April 1947) was an English writer.
Early life Henderson was born in 1905 in London. He had a twin sister, Alice Janet.Edwards, Martin, "Introduction", in Henderson, Donald, Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, (2018: Collins Crime Club), p vi.
He was the only son of Donald Douglas Henderson (1873–1931), an engineer, and Alice (née Landels) (1876–1905). His mother died four days after his birth, and his father remarried Helen Mary Scott (1882–1959) when the twins were four.Edwards, Martin, "Introduction", in Henderson, Donald, Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, (2018: Collins Crime Club), p vi. He had two younger half-sisters, Barbara and Pauline.
As a young man Henderson spent a period in a stockbrokers' office, and then became an actor. Later he joined the staff of the BBC.
Career From early youth Henderson had written novels and plays under various pseudonyms. He first used his own name on the 1943 psychological thriller Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper,Published by Constable & Co Ltd, 1943 which got considerable critical attention in wartime Britain. In 1946, it was dramatised for the stage under the same title with a cast headed by Anthony Hawtrey and Jean Forbes-Robertson. In 1948, film actor Gene Raymond obtained the screen rights to it, according to the New York Daily News. In 1950, Anthony Hawtrey and Vida Hope starred in a teleplay of the novel on British television.
In the immediate aftermath of World War II Henderson published a second novel in the same genre, the 1946 Goodbye to Murder.Published by Constable & Co Ltd, 1946, re-issued by Pan Books in 1947. A Spanish translation entitled "Adiós al crimen" published by Emecé, Buenos Aires, 1950 Following the success of Mr Bowling, his book The Announcers (written under the pen-name D.H. Landels), was published by Collins Crime Club with the new title A Voice Like Velvet.
Personal life In 1932 Henderson married Janet Zoe Emilie Morrison,St Martin district registry, June 1932 quarter, Vol 1a, p 1082 an actress, but the marriage soon failed.Edwards, Martin, "Introduction", in Henderson, Donald, Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, (2018: Collins Crime Club), p vi. She did not remarry.Bridge district registry, March 1972 quarter, Vol 5F, p 156.
His second wife was Rosemary Bridgwater, whom he married in 1942.Kensington district registry, December 1942 quarter, Vol 1a, p 205.Edwards, Martin, "Introduction", in Henderson, Donald, Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, (2018: Collins Crime Club), p viii. His wife gave birth to a son, Colin, in January 1945, but a second son, Angus, born in December the same year, only lived a few days.Edwards, Martin, "Introduction", in Henderson, Donald, Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, (2018: Collins Crime Club), p ix.
Henderson's career was cut short when he developed lung cancer and died in Chelsea, London.
His second wife remarried, in 1948, to Stephen Boycott.Kensington district registry, December 1948 quarter, Vol 5c, p 2544.
References
External links Original covers of 'Mr. Bowling buys a newspaper and 'Goodbye to murder (note: other books referred to on this website are in fact by other writers of the same name)