Hammond Innes
Born in 1913, Ralph Hammond Innes was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels - usually thrillers or adventure stories with interesting and often exotic settings.
Hammond Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex. He was an only child and his father worked in the Westminster Bank. Instead of following in his father's footsteps, the young Hammond Innes became a journalist, and then a part time writer. His first novel, The Doppelganger, was published in 1937.
When the war broke out Innes volunteered for the Navy. After the war, he did not return to journalism, but became a full time writer. Several of his novels were made into films from the 1950s onwards, which increased his popularity.
Hammond Innes usually six months traveling every year, taking notes and photographs, examining new settings for his novels, and then six months writing.
His daily routine began with an early breakfast and a walk around the garden, and then got started in his study at 8am.
After a light lunch and an hour's siesta, he returned to the study to deal with the day's telephone calls, fan mail and diary planning. Innes's working day ended at 6 pm.
The new book would be finished by the end of the summer to be published in time for the Christmas market.
Innes' novels include Wreckers Must Breathe, The White South, Campbell's Kingdom, The Wreck of the Mary Deare, The Land God Gave to Cain, and The Doomed Oasis.
Hammond Innes married actress Dorothy Mary Lang in 1937. They had no children.
Innes's great love and experience of the sea as a yachtsman, was reflected in many of his novels. Hammond and his wife both travelled in and raced their yachts. They lived together in Suffolk in the village of Kersey.
After their deaths, the Innes' left the bulk of their estate and all of their Public Lending Rights to the Association of Sea Training Organisations, to enable young people to gain training and to experience the same pleasure in sailing the sea.
Further reading
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