Eric Wright was born May 4, 1929 in London, England. After growing up in Lambeth, he immigrated to Canada in 1951. Wright attended the University of Manitoba, completing his B.A. in 1957, and received his M.A. in 1963 from University of Toronto. Until his retirement Wright taught English at Ryerson Polythechnical Institute.
Eric Wright is the author of four mystery/detective series—the Inspector Charlie Salter Mysteries, the Lucy Trimble Brenner Mysteries, the Mel Pickett Mysteries, and the Joe Barley Mysteries—as well as a memoir Always Give a Penny to a Blind Man which covers most of Wright's life from when he was a child growing up poor in working-class London through his immigration to Canada and the beginning of his attendance at University. Wright has also written two stand-alone novels, Moodie's Tale and Finding Home, the novella "Dempsey's Lodge", and a short story "Twins". Wright is best known for his series of police procedurals featuring Metropolitan Toronto police inspector Charlie Salter.
Wright's books have won numerous other awards over the years. Four of his novels have been awarded the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. Among them The Night the Gods Smiled also received the 1984 City of Toronto Book Award, and Britain's John Creasy Memorial Award for best crime drama. The Inspector Charlie Salter Mysteries Smoke Detector and Death in the Old Country, and the Joe Barley Mystery The Kidnapping of Rosie Dawn also received the Arthur Ellis Award. In 1998, Wright received the Derrick Murdoch Award for lifetime contributions to Canadian crime writing. The Kidnapping of Rosie Dawn went on to be nominated for an Edgar Award.
Eric Wright died October 9, 2015.