RIP, Alan Bradley

The CBC reported that bestselling author Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia de Luce mystery series, has died at the age of 87 on the Isle of Man. The bestselling author was known for his vivid storytelling that captivated readers — and his later-in-life blockbuster success that inspired many.

Bradley, born in Toronto in 1938, worked as a television and radio engineer before he was offered a position at University of Saskatchewan and taught there for 25 years, becoming the Director of Television Engineering. In 1994, he retired and moved to Kelowna, B.C., with his wife, Shirley. Bradley then began writing full-time, publishing short stories for children and adults, the memoir, The Shoebox Bible, and the nonfiction book, Ms. Holmes of Baker Street, written with William A.S. Sarjeant, theorizing that Sherlock Holmes was a woman.

His literary career really took off in his late 60s, when an 11-year-old girl named Flavia de Luce first appeared on the page. Precocious and smart, Flavia was a minor character in a manuscript that captivated Bradley’s wife. Shirley encouraged him to develop Flavia further and she ultimately became the protagonist of the bestselling mystery series bearing her name. 

The first novel in the Flavia de Luce series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, was a hit right off the gate, winning several notable crime and mystery awards: the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Winn Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award.  There are now 11 books in the series, which has sold over six million copies and has been translated to 36 languages.

But when asked about his biggest accomplishment, Bradley said he was most honored by the impact he had on the lives of readers who were inspired by Flavia. As he told The Next Chapter in a 2024 interview, “I’ve just been absolutely flattened by letters and emails from girls of Flavia’s age who have said that they’ve decided to go into science...Now that the first book has been out for 16 years, I’m beginning to hear from girls who graduated, who are now very advanced in science. I think that’s a wonderful achievement, inspiring young people to go into the sciences.”