Charteris, Leslie

Leslie Charteris was born in colonial Singapore as Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin. His father, Suat Chuan Yin, was a wealthy physician and company manager who claimed he was related to an ancient Chinese imperial family. Charteris' mother, Lydia Florence Bowyer, was English. Young Leslie was educated at home and on the many journeys he made with his parents; he claimed to have toured the world three times before he turned thirteen. In 1919, his parents decided to send him to school in England against his will. He first went to Falconbury School in Purley, Surrey, and then he attended Rossall School in Fleetwood, Lancashire. After having spent a few months in Paris he was reluctantly admitted as a law student at Cambridge in 1925, but by this time he had had enough. The following year he informed his family that he wanted to write. His father became furious and withdrew his allowance.