William Watson

William Hugh Charles Watson (30 April 1931 – 5 December 2005) was a Scottish author, playwright and newspaper editor. He was initially Literary and then Features editor of the Scotsman newspaper.

Born in Edinburgh on 30 April 1931, The Knight on the Bridge (1982) is about the Cathars. These two latter books are generally regarded as his best works.

Between 1970 and 1972 he wrote three plays; Footstool for God, set in Rosslyn Chapel, The Larch and Dodwell's Last Trump. He also co-wrote Sawney Bean with Robert Nye in 1970, and, with Nye, Stanley Eveling, Alan Jackson, Clarisse Eriksson, John Downing and David Mowat an adaptation of Dracula which premiered in Edinburgh in 1969, and in London in 1972.

He wrote six spy thrillers under the nom-de-plume of J K Mayo between 1986 and 1997 using a middle-aged, irritable, Gauloise-smoking ex-army Colonel named Harry Seddall as his hero for these books. An interesting aside is his use of little-known and obscure words to enhance his descriptions of places and conversations throughout the books.

He died in an Edinburgh nursing home on 5 December 2005 after a long illness.

He left a wife named Catherine Robins.

Selected works NrNameTypeYear1. Better than One Novel 19692. Sawney Bean Play 19703. A Footstool for God Play 19724. Beltran in Exile (The Last of the Templars) Historical novel 19795. The Knight on the Bridge Historical novel 19826. The Hunting Season1 Spy novel 19867. Wolf's Head1 Spy novel 19878. Cry Havoc1 Spy novel 19909. A Shred of Honour1 Spy novel 199310. The Masterless Men1 Spy novel 199511. The Interloper1 Spy novel 1997

1 Published under the pseudonym of J.K. Mayo.