Millar, Margaret, 1915-1994

Historical Background

Margaret Ellis Millar (née Sturm) was the author of many mystery novels, plays, television scripts, poems, and short stories.

Millar was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, on February 5, 1915. She studied psychiatry at the University of Toronto, but left college after three years without completing her degree. In 1938 she married Kenneth Millar, with whom she lived in Santa Barbara, California until his death in 1983. They had one daughter, Linda. Margaret Millar died on March 26, 1994, at age 79, in Santa Barbara, California.

Millar's novels have been published in several languages including French, Japanese, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, and Catalan. Her literary work has received ample recognition by literary critics, reviewers, and peers. In 1956 she was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel, and in 1983 she received the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.

• 1915 February 5: Born Margaret Ellis Sturm.
• 1936: Leaves University of Toronto.
• 1938: Marries Kenneth Millar, pseudonym Ross Macdonald.
• 1941: Publishes The Invisible Worm.
• 1942: Publishes The Weak-Eyed Bat. Publishes The Devils Loves Me.
• 1943: Publishes Wall of Eyes.
• 1944: Publishes Fire Will Freeze.
• 1945: Publishes The Iron Gates.
• 1947: Publishes Experiment in Springtime.
• 1948: Publishes It's All in the Family.
• 1949: Publishes The Cannibal Heart.
• 1950: Publishes Do Evil in Return.
• 1952: Publishes Vanish in an Instant. Publishes Rose's Last Summer.
• 1954: Publishes Wives and Lovers.
• 1955: Publishes Beast in View.
• 1956: Wins the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel for Beast in View.
• 1957: Publishes An Air That Kills.
• 1957 - 1958 : Serves as president of Mystery Writers of America.
• 1959: Publishes The Listening Walls.
• 1960: Publishes A Stranger in My Grave.
• 1962: Publishes How Like an Angel.
• 1964: Publishes The Fiend.
• 1965: The Fiend nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel. Named Woman of the Year by Los Angeles Times.
• 1967: Publishes The Birds and the Beasts Were There.
• 1970: Publishes Beyond This Point Are Monsters.
• 1971: Beyond This Point Are Monsters nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel.
• 1976: Publishes Ask For Me Tomorrow.
• 1979: Publishes The Murder of Miranda.
• 1982: Publishes Mermaid.
• 1983: Publishes Banshee. Receives Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.
• 1983 July 11: Kenneth Millar dies in Santa Barbara, California.
• 1986: Publishes Spider Webs.
• 1994 March 26: Margaret Millar dies in Santa Barbara, California.

From the guide to the Margaret Millar papers, 1944-1994, (University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.)