Celia Fremlin

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Celia Fremlin (1914–2009) was born in Kent and spent her childhood in Hertfordshire, before studying at Oxford. During World War II, she served as an air-raid warden before becoming involved with the Mass Observation Project, collaborating on a study of women workers, War Factory. After the loss of her husband and youngest daughter to separate tragedies, Fremlin briefly relocated to Geneva. In 1985, she married Leslie Minchin, with whom she lived until his death in 1999. Over four decades, Fremlin wrote sixteen celebrated novels—including the classic summer holiday mystery Uncle Paul—one book of poetry and three short-story collections. Her debut novel The Hours Before Dawn won the Edgar Award in 1960.