Basil Copper

Basil Frederick Albert Copper (5 February 1924 – 3 April 2013) was an English writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He became a full-time writer in 1970. In addition to horror and detective fiction, Copper was perhaps best known for his series of Solar Pons stories continuing the character created as a tribute to Sherlock Holmes by August Derleth. Copper's interests included swimming, gardening, travel, sailing and historic film material. One of England's leading film collectors, his private archive contained almost one thousand titles (at 1977). He founded the Tunbridge Wells Vintage Film Society and often gave talks at various film organisations in London. He was a member of the British Film Society and the Vintage Film Circle of London. Copper was a longtime resident of Sevenoaks in Kent, and was survived by his French-born wife Annie (née Guerin) to whom he had been married since 1960.