P. M. Hubbard

For other people named Philip Hubbard, see Philip Hubbard (disambiguation).

Philip Maitland Hubbard (9 November 1910 – 17 March 1980) was a British writer. He was known principally for his crime and suspense stories although he wrote in other forms and genres as well, for example contributing short stories and poetry to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and articles, verse and parliamentary reports for Punch.

Biography

Hubbard was born in Reading in Berkshire,[1] but was brought up in Guernsey in the Channel Islands.[2] He was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey and at Jesus College, Oxford, where in 1933 he won the Newdigate Prize for poetry[2] with "Ovid among the Goths". He served with the Indian Civil Service from 1934 until its disbandment in 1947 (he was the last District Commissioner of the Punjab) upon Indian independence, after which he worked for the British Council and as Deputy Director of the National Union of Manufacturers. From 1960 until his death he worked as a freelance writer.[2] He worked for Punch and wrote light verse. He lived in Dorset and in Scotland, and was married with three children (Jane, Caroline and Peter), although separated many years before his death.

P. M. Hubbard's main output was sixteen full-length novels for adults.[2] These are typically suspense stories which have their settings in the countryside or coastline of England or Scotland[2] (although one, The Country of Again is set mainly in Pakistan). Most of the novels feature a male protagonist (although in some, such as Flush as May and The Quiet River, the protagonist is a woman) and characters who in general are educated, articulate and strong-willed. Most of the novels draw extensively on one or more of the author's interests and preoccupations including country pursuits, small-boat sailing, folk religion and the works of William Shakespeare.

Hubbard's novel High Tide was adapted for television and broadcast in 1980 as part of the UK ITV network's "Armchair Thriller" series.

He was described in his obituary in The Times as a "most imaginative and distinguished practitioner", writing with an "assurance and individuality of style and tone." He died on 17 March 1980.[2]

Bibliography

Adult suspense novels

Novels written for children

References

  1. ↑ The Worlds of P. M. Hubbard by Tom Jenkins
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mr. P. M. Hubbard". The Times. 19 March 1980. p. 16.

Sources

External links

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