Frederick Forsyth (1938) is an English author and former journalist and spy. He is best known for his thrillers many of which have been adapted into films. He wrote his first novel The Day of the Jackal in 1971, winning an Edgar Award for Best Novel. His next two novels The Odessa File and The Dogs of War were also adapted into films of the same names. In 1997 Forsyth was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 2015 it was revealed he had been an MI6 agent for twenty years.