Leslie Charteris (born Leslie Charles Bowyer Yin; 1907–1993) was a British-American writer best known for his series on stories featuring Simon Templar, also known as The Saint. Born in Singapore to a Chinese father, Suat Yin Chwan, and his English wife, Lydia ( Bowyer), Charteris travelled extensively with his family until beginning his education in England in 1919. In 1925 he enrolled at King's College, Cambridge, but left after a year in order to become a writer; to support himself, he worked as a goldminer, bartender, professional bridge player and temporary policeman. In October 1926 he changed his name by deed poll to Leslie Charles Bowyer Charteris-Ian, and professionally used the shorter version, Leslie Charteris.

Charteris's first five novels were published by Ward Lock & Co; he also had a story The Red River published in their Windsor Magazine in May 1927. The first novel, X Esquire, which he later described as "an appallingly bad book", was published in 1927; his second novel—The White Rider, published in 1928—is "overwritten and poorly constructed", according to his biographer Joan DelFattore. In his third novel, Meet the Tiger (1928), he introduced the character of Simon Templar, a debonair gentleman crook who goes by the , The Saint.

Charteris continued writing Saint books and the series gained in popularity because of its "mix of light humour, sophisticated settings, and story-line emphasising the role of a crusader tackling the forces of evil", which had "special appeal in the depression". Charteris moved to the United States in 1932 and soon began writing screenplays, the first of which resulted in Midnight Club, released in 1933.

In the June 1954 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Charteris published Fish Story. According to the editors, it was written during (or inspired by) a leisure trip to Florida.

From the late 1960s to 1983, Charteris served in an editorial capacity for a continuation series of Saint books consisting of a mixture of novella- and novel-length adaptations of episodes of The Saint and Return of the Saint TV series, comic strip stories, as well as a few original stories. On some editions, Charteris is the cover author, with the actual writers credited within. Listed below are Saint books from this period for which Charteris is believed to have had a more active role than editor.

Charteris also worked on three books of non-fiction and an introduction to the 1980 re-issue of The Saint Meets the Tiger. The works consisted of a translation from Spanish to English of the autobiography of the bullfighter Juan Belmonte, a language guide to Spanish, and a guide to Paleneo, a wordless, pictorial sign language invented by Charteris. He died in Windsor, Berkshire, in April 1993.

Novels and story collections

+ The books of Leslie Charteris Title Year of firstpublication First edition publisher Simon Templar book? Format X Esquire 1927 Ward Lock & Co, London Novel Ward Lock & Co, London Novel Meet the Tiger Ward Lock & Co, London Novel Ward Lock & Co, London Novel Daredevil Ward Lock & Co, London Although not considered a Saint book, this novel did introduce the character of Insp. Claude Eustace Teal, who became a recurring figure in the Saint series. Novel Enter the Saint Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Knight Templar Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Featuring the Saint Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Alias the Saint Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas She Was a Lady Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Getaway Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Once More the Saint Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Hodder & Stoughton, London Short story collection Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Boodle Hodder & Stoughton, London Short story collection Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Saint Overboard Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Thieves' Picnic Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Prelude for War Hodder & Stoughton, London Novel Follow the Saint Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novellas Hodder & Stoughton, London Short story collection Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novel Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novel Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novellas Lady on a Train Shaw Press, Los Angeles, CA Novelisation Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novel Call for the Saint Hodder & Stoughton, London Novellas Saint Errant Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Thanks to the Saint Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Señor Saint Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Trust the Saint Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Doubleday, Garden City, NY Short story collection Vendetta for the Saint Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novel Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novel Doubleday, Garden City, NY Novel

Screenplays

+ The screenplays of Leslie Charteris Title Year Co-writer(s) Studio Midnight Club Paramount Pictures RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Lady on a Train – Universal River Gang – Universal Two Smart People Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Tarzan and the Huntress RKO Radio Pictures

Non-fiction

+ Other works of Charteris Title Year of firstpublication First edition publisher Category Notes Juan Belmonte, Killer of Bulls: The Autobiography of a Matador Heinemann, London Autobiography Charteris undertook the translation from Spanish to English Spanish for Fun Hodder & Stoughton, London Language guide – Paleneo: A Universal Sign Language Hodder & Stoughton, London Sign language guide Paleneo, a wordless, pictorial sign language, was invented by Charteris Charter Communications, Indianapolis, IN Saint novel Introduction only

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