Colin Dexter

English crime writer Colin Dexter was born in Stamford, Lincolnshire. He earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in classics from Christ’s College, Cambridge. He was a teacher for most of his life and eventually had to retire due to his worsening deafness. After a stint writing textbooks, Dexter turned to mysteries, eventually penning thirteen mystery novels. He created the famous detective Inspector Morse in 1975. The Inspector Morse series soon moved to the small screen, and so did Dexter—he made frequent cameo appearances on the TV show. Dexter earned two Silver Daggers, two Golden Daggers, and a Diamond Dagger from The Crime Writers’ Association of Britain. He was knighted in 2000, honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He married Dorothy Cooper in 1956, and the couple had a daughter and son.