Press Release:
Dennis Wheatley - Prince Of Thriller Writers - To Return
DENNIS WHEATLEY: INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR TO BE RE-LAUNCHED BY BLOOMSBURY READER
"One of the most popular storytellers of the Century,"
Daily Telegraph
"The greatest adventure writer of his time,"
The Daily Mail
"The best tale of its kind since Dracula,"
James Hilton on The Devil Rides Out
Bloomsbury Reader will publish 56 titles starting from October 2013 to tie in with Halloween
Dennis Wheatley, who sold over 50 million copies of his books worldwide, outselling Agatha Christie at the time of his death, is set to return in ebook and print form following a World English language deal with Bloomsbury's digital imprint, Bloomsbury Reader, struck by Peters, Fraser & Dunlop.
Twenty titles will launch on 10 October 2013, with three of Wheatley's most famous thriller and gothic occult works – The Forbidden Territory, The Devil Rides Out, and To The Devil A Daughter – also becoming available in paperback.
Dubbed 'the prince of thriller writers' by the Times Literary Supplement, Wheatley's success was remarkable:
o His first published novel, The Forbidden Territory (in 1933) was reprinted 7 times in its first 7 weeks of publication;
o His books were published around the world in 28 languages;
o The Gregory Sallust Series is frequently cited as one of the main inspirations for Ian Fleming's ever-popular James Bond works.
Fans ranged from King George VI to Winston Churchill and James Hilton.
Comment From Peters, Fraser & Dunlop Rights Agent, Camilla Shestopal
'We are delighted to work with Bloomsbury to help a new audience engage with Dennis Wheatley's work, as well as reconnect with his millions of existing fans across the world. Halloween represents the perfect time to celebrate and reboot the reputation of this master of the macabre.'
Comment From Stephanie Duncan, Digital Media Director, Bloomsbury Publishing
'Bloomsbury Reader is thrilled to be publishing Dennis Wheatley, the Jeffrey Archer of his day, with every new release a bestseller. Our aim of bringing out of print books back into circulation is proving that there's a market for good books, no matter when they were first published.'
Comment From Grandson, Dominic Wheatley
'When I was young, I couldn't go anywhere without people asking me if I was related to Dennis Wheatley. He was a Titan amongst novelists of his time, and his legions of fans ensured that each new book would fly off the shelves.
I have met a variety of people, from shop-keepers to Duchesses, all of whom tell me how much they enjoyed reading his work, and he was as comfortable throughout his life mixing in the company of movie producers like Hitchcock, actors such as Christopher Lee, politicians (he worked with Churchill) and the general public who used his tales to transport themselves into worlds they could only dream about. That appeal continues today and I'm delighted that Bloomsbury, a British publishing powerhouse, are re-introducing his great stories to the next generation - especially on the new digital formats that he would have been thrilled to see reach an even bigger audience.'
Biography
Dennis Wheatley (born in London on 8 January 1897) was educated at Dulwich College. He served for the British Army during World War I, the RAF during World War II, as well as being a member of the War Cabinet's, London Controlling Section (a secret department established to coordinate Allied strategic military deception).
Wheatley's first novel, The Forbidden Territory, was an instant success when published in 1933, and his fifth novel, The Devil Rides Out, published in 1934, was hailed by seminal British novelist, James Hilton, as 'the best thing of its kind since Dracula'. This book was made into a film in 1968 by Hammer Films, who adapted many more Wheatley titles.
Wheatley also wrote a number of non-fiction books and autobiographies; and he invented the boardgames Invasion (1938), Blockade (1939), and Alibi (1953). He also edited several collections of short stories, and, from 1974 to 1977, supervised a series of 45 paperback reprints to form 'The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult', with Wheatley selecting titles by writers such as, Bram Stoker, Aleister Crowley, and Theosophist, H.P. Blavatsky, and writing introductions for each book. The 'Library' proved a global hit.
(A thought about Dennis Wheatley. My Father loved his books. My Father read a lot of books. Although not an educated man, reading was part of his life, and all of us were brought up loving reading. But, when I think about it, I have no memory of going into a book shop and buying books as I do now. Where did our books come from? Not the library we didn't use it. Where did my Father's Dennis Wheatley, Raymond Chandler, Jack London and other authors he read come from? No idea!)