Raymond T. Chandler Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Raymond Chandler, born in 1888, was a highly influential American-British novelist and screenwriter best known for his hardboiled detective fiction. He created the iconic character Philip Marlowe, a tough yet honorable private eye who starred in several of Chandler’s novels including “The Big Sleep” and “The Long Goodbye.” Chandler’s distinctive writing style, with its vivid similes and sharp dialogue, left an indelible mark on the genre.

Although born in Chicago, Chandler spent much of his childhood in London after his parents’ divorce. He attended Dulwich College, a prestigious English public school, before returning to the United States at age 18. After serving in World War I, Chandler pursued a business career but was fired from an oil company in 1932 due to his alcoholism and absenteeism, prompting him to become a professional writer.

It was here at 110 Auckland Road in the Borough of Croydon, South London where Chandler lived early in his life. Croydon has a rich literary history, with other notable authors like D.H. Lawrence and Émile Zola also residing in the area. The borough’s suburban character likely influenced the gritty urban settings that would later feature prominently in Chandler’s detective fiction.

Chandler’s first novel, “The Big Sleep,” was published in 1939 when he was already 51. It introduced Philip Marlowe and established Chandler as a major talent. He went on to write seven Marlowe novels, cementing his reputation as a master of the genre. Chandler also found success as a screenwriter, co-writing the screenplay for “Double Indemnity” with Billy Wilder in 1944. Though a quintessentially American writer, Chandler’s years in England as a youth significantly shaped his literary voice and outlook. He died in La Jolla, California in 1959 at the age of 70.