Peter Watson

Peter Watson was educated at the universities of Durham, London and Rome, and was awarded scholarships in Italy and the United States.After a stint as Deputy Editor of New Society magazine, he was for four years part of the Sunday Times ‘Insight’ team of investigative journalists. He wrote the daily Diary column of the London Times before becoming that paper’s New York correspondent. He returned to London to write a column about the art world for the Observer and then at The Sunday Times.He has published three exposes in the world of art and antiquities and from 1997 to 2007 was a Research Associate at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. He has published twelve books of non-fiction and seven novels, some under the pen name of Mackenzie Ford. He lives in London where his interests include theatre, opera and fishing.Awards, Etc.Psychology PrizeDurham University, 1961Italian Government Music ScholarshipRome University, 1965United States Government Bursary “for future world leaders”To study the psychiatric profession and its links to the administration of justiceBooks of the YearPsychology Today Magazine, 1978, for War on the MindDaily Mail, 1990, for Wisdom and StrengthIndependent on Sunday, for A Terrible Beauty, 2000Times Literary Supplement, for Ideas, 2005Time Magazine, for The Medici Conspiracy, 2006Queen’s PardonCopy from Patrick Meehan after I had written a series of articles which brought about his release from prison after he had been wrongly convicted of murder, 1976.Gold Dagger – Crime Writers’ Association of Great BritainFor The Caravaggio Conspiracy, 1983Beacon Award – SAFE Award – Saving Antiquities for EveryoneFor The Medici Conspiracy, 2006US Library AssociationThe Great Divide.Emmy Nomination‘The Caravaggio Conspiracy, 1984.Best sellersThe Caravaggio ConspiracyCrusadeLandscape of LiesSotheby’s: The Inside StoryNureyevLecturesPeter Watson has lectured at the following venues:UniversitiesCambridgeBerkeleyLondonUCLABirminghamGeorgiaGeorgiaChicagoBirminghamSantiago de ChileYorkMadridHarvardTuftsMilitary BasesFort BraggPrivate Institutions inClevelandBerlinChicagoBelfastLos AngelesNew YorkWashingtonBostonPalm BeachOther venuesSmithsonian InstitutionNational Museum, CopenhagenRoyal Society of ArtsRugby SchoolRoyal Library, CopenhagenFestivalsEdinburghOxfordDartingtonYork