"Sara Woods" is the pseudonym of Lana Bowen-Judd, mystery and crime writer, who was born on March 7, 1922 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England and was educated at Convent of Sacred Heart in Filey, Yorkshire. During the Second World War, she worked in a bank and as a solicitor's clerk in London, England. Following her marriage to Anthony George Bowen-Judd on April 25, 1946, she worked alongside her husband as a pig breeder from 1948 to 1954. In 1957, they emigrated to Halifax, Nova Scotia where Woods worked as registrar of St. Mary's University until 1964. It was not until 1962, at the age of forty, that she published her first novel, Bloody Instructions. Between 1962 and 1985, though, she wrote fifty three mystery novels most of which were published in the United Kingdom and the United States, her main markets. Only 1983's Call Back Yesterday was published in Canada. The hero of all of her books was barrister Antony Matland. In addition to publishing as Sara Woods, she also used the pseudonyms Anne Burton, Mary Challis and Margaret Leek. She was a member of the Society of Authors (England), the Authors League of America, the Mystery Writers of America and the Crime Writers Association (England). She also helped found the Crime Writers of Canada and served on its first executive committee. She died on November 5, 1985 at Toronto's Wellesley Hospital of unknown causes. Her final home was Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario where she lived with her husband from 1981 until her death.
Fonds consists of literary manuscripts, correspondence, financial records and other documentation relating to the writing career of Sara Woods.
Finding aid available.
No restrictions on access.
Inventory number: F0145