Leslie Charteris
Creator of Simon Templar, the Saint.
Leslie Charteris (born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin; 12 May 1907 – 15 April 1993) was a British-Chinese writer of adventure fiction and a screenwriter. He is most famous for creating Simon Templar, the hero known as "The Saint," whose exploits filled many novels, novellas, and short stories.
Charteris was born in Singapore to an English mother, Lydia Florence Bowyer, and a Chinese father, Dr. S. C. Yin, who claimed descent from the emperors of the Shang dynasty. His older brother, Roy Henry Bowyer-Yin, became an Anglican clergyman. From a young age, Charteris loved writing; he once produced his own magazine filled with articles, stories, poems, editorials, serials, and a comic strip. He attended Saint Andrew's School in Singapore, then Rossall School in England, and later studied law at King's College, Cambridge, but dropped out during his first year to pursue a literary career. In 1926, he legally changed his surname to Charteris. According to his daughter, he picked the name from a telephone directory, though other accounts link it to the notorious Colonel Francis Charteris, a gambler and duellist, though this sometimes gets confused with Francis Dashwood, founder of the Hellfire Club.
While at Cambridge, Charteris wrote his first book. Once it was accepted for publication, he left university, driven by a wish to be unconventional and to make a good living doing what he loved. He wrote British thrillers while working a variety of jobs: shipping out on a freighter, tending bar, prospecting for gold, pearl diving, laboring in a tin mine and on a rubber plantation, touring with a carnival, and driving a bus.
His third novel, *Meet the Tiger* (1928), introduced Simon Templar. Charteris later dismissed this book, saying its only value was launching the Saint series, and sometimes pretended the series began with the second volume, *Enter the Saint* (1930). He wrote a few other works, such as a novelization of his screenplay for the film *Lady on a Train* and an English translation of *Juan Belmonte: Killer of Bulls*. But his main literary output was the Saint adventures, published as novels, novellas, and short stories for 35 years. After 1963, other writers ghostwrote the stories, with Charteris editing and revising.
Charteris moved to the United States in 1932. He wrote short stories and worked for Paramount Pictures, contributing to the film *Midnight Club*.
- born
- 12 May 1907, Singapore
- died
- 15 April 1993
- field
- Adventure fiction, screenwriting
- nationality
- British-Chinese
- known_for
- Creating Simon Templar, 'The Saint'
Lore & Background
Leslie Charteris was born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin in Singapore to an English mother and a Chinese father, a physician who claimed lineage from Shang dynasty emperors. He attended schools in Singapore and England, and read law at King's College, Cambridge, but dropped out in his first year to pursue writing. In 1926, he legally changed his surname to Charteris; his daughter stated he selected the name from a telephone directory, though other sources attribute it to Colonel Francis Charteris, a gambler and duellist, though this may confuse him with Francis Dashwood.
Charteris wrote his first book during his first year at Cambridge and left university once it was accepted. He worked various jobs—shipping out on a freighter, barman, gold prospector, pearl diver, tin miner, rubber plantation worker, carnival tourer, and bus driver—while continuing to write thriller stories. His third novel, Meet the Tiger (1928), introduced Simon Templar, though Charteris later expressed dissatisfaction with it and sometimes claimed the series began with Enter the Saint (1930). He relocated to the United States in 1932, writing for Paramount Pictures and the comic strip Secret Agent X-9. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, he was denied permanent residency until an act of Congress granted it; he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1946, later resettling in England.
Charteris wrote nearly 100 Saint books, stepping away from writing after The Saint in the Sun (1963); subsequent volumes were ghostwritten or adapted from TV episodes, with Charteris serving as editor. He also scripted the Sherlock Holmes radio series, appeared in a Life photographic adaptation playing the Saint, and produced the original theme tune for the TV series. The Saint was adapted into films (including an RKO series from 1938–1943) and a long-running British TV series (1962–1969) starring Roger Moore, with later revivals in the 1970s and 1980s.
Reader's Guide
Leslie Charteris's significance lies in his creation of Simon Templar, a debonair adventurer who became a lasting icon in popular culture. The Saint series spanned novels, short stories, radio, film, and television, influencing the genre of the gentleman thief or vigilante. Charteris's own life—marked by a diverse range of jobs, legal battles over character rights (including a lawsuit against RKO), and his struggle with U.S. immigration law due to his Chinese heritage—adds depth to his legacy. His work continued through ghostwriters and adaptations, ensuring the Saint's presence across media for decades. The character's enduring appeal is evidenced by multiple film and TV incarnations, from Louis Hayward and George Sanders to Roger Moore, and a 1997 film. Charteris's editorial role in later Saint books and his founding of The Saint Club further cemented his connection to fans. His legacy is that of a prolific storyteller whose most famous creation outlived him, remaining a recognizable figure in adventure fiction.
Did You Know?
- Charteris legally changed his surname in 1926; his daughter said he chose it from a telephone directory, though other sources attribute it to Colonel Francis Charteris.
- He was a passenger on the maiden voyage of the Hindenburg in 1936.
- Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Charteris was denied U.S. permanent residency until an act of Congress granted it; he became a naturalized citizen in 1946.
- Charteris appeared in a 1941 Life photographic adaptation of a Saint short story, playing the Saint himself.
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