December 19, 1957

Dorothy Sayers, Author, Dies at 64

Special to The New York Times

ondon, Dec. 18--Dorothy L. Sayers, creator of Lord Peter Wimsey, the titled detective- hero of a series of whodunits, and author of theological plays and books, died last night at her home at Witham, Essex. She was 64 years old.

Miss Sayers was found early today in the hall of her house by her gardener. A post- mortem examination determined that she had died of a coronary thrombosis.

Erudite Crime Stories

Dorothy Leigh Sayers was widely regarded as one of the most erudite present-day writers of detective fiction. She was one of the leading authorities on the history of crime-fiction writing and occasionally wrote keen analyses of problems presented by actual murder cases.

During her latter years she abandoned crime fiction to write dramas and interpretive essays on the Christian religion. She also translated the "Inferno" and the "Purgatorio" of Dante's "Divine Comedy." At her death she was working on a translation of the "Paradiso." Her last published book was a translation of the medieval French epic "Chanson de Roland."

In 1952 Miss Sayers said, "One of the reasons I no longer write detective stories is the income tax. Anything that is liable to sell well may be ruinous." Those who knew her believed, however, that Miss Sayers' change of writing fields was due to her closer orientation to the Christian faith as she grew more mature.

Probably Miss Sayers will be remembered longest for the creation of Lord Peter Wimsey, an efficient although at times insufferably affected peer who solved crimes and served as a mouthpiece for Miss Sayers' considerable learning.

Wrote Basic Study

Miss Sayers was one of the first women to obtain an Oxford University degree after attending its Somerville College. She completed her university studies in 1915, having obtained first honors in medieval literature. Her first job was that of copy writer in a leading London advertising agency. Her first detective story, "Whose Body," was published in 1923.

She was a prolific writer, turning out a large number of books, plays and anthologies. Her monumental three-volume "Omnibus of Crime" was considered a basic study of detective fiction writing.

"The Nine Tailors," published in 1934, is not only a murder mystery but also a learned study of campanology, the art of bell ringing. Many critics regard this as her finest literary achievement.

The more widely known Lord Peter Wimsey stories include "Clouds of Witness," "Strong Poison," "Murder Must Advertise," "Gaudy Night," and "Busman's Honeymoon."

In private life Miss Sayers was the wife of Capt. Oswald Atherton Fleming, a widely- known war correspondent. Captain Fleming died in 1950. The author was described as a cheerful, friendly person who was at ease with all sorts of people. In her middle years she liked to drive a motorcycle.

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