John Le Carré

David John Moore Cornwell (1931–2020), known by the pen name John le Carré, was a British novelist celebrated for redefining the modern espionage thriller with moral complexity and psychological realism. After studying at the University of Bern and Lincoln College, Oxford, he taught briefly before working for Britain’s Security Service (MI5) and later the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). His breakthrough novel, *The Spy Who Came in from the Cold* (1963), brought international acclaim. He went on to create the iconic intelligence officer George Smiley, featured in *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy* (1974) and other novels. Le Carré’s work often scrutinized Cold War politics, betrayal, and institutional power.