Dartington Hall at night Click on the image to enlarge

A selection of the Conventioneers (left to right): Keith, Mark, Mary, Anna, Steve, Charles, Nat, Jean, Ken and Darren Click on the image to enlarge

The seventeenth Dennis Wheatley Convention took place on 25th-27th October at Dartington Hall, near Totnes in Devon. This was our third year at this venue, the inspiration for 'Weylands School', the backdrop for all the activities in 'The Haunting of Toby Jugg'.

A small number arrived on the Thursday so as to rest-up on the Friday and explore the locality, with the rest joining them for a catch-up and a pre-Convention dinner on the Friday evening.

The Convention day, the Saturday, began with a visual prelude arranged by Darren showing various facets of DW's life and of previous Conventions.

At 10:30, Charles brought in the programme packs, this time crafted by Darren. Each pack contained a programme booklet (which as well as giving the day's programme, also had articles about this year's DW book anniversaries, the venue, a new soundtrack to The Devil Rides Out, an article celebrating 50 years of DW's Library of the Occult, a book review of 'The Devil Rides Out' from the Archives and various other material - making it a real collectors' piece) and some DW themed bookmarks. These were supplemented later in the day by some Steve Whatley crafted bookmarks.

At 10:40, Ken Gallacher gave a talk on 'Wheatley's Women'; his observations and thoughts on the women in DW's books.

Ken profiled eight women in DW's books, noting that quite often DW likened their appearances to contemporary film stars. Perhaps, Ken wondered, this was to help with film casting should the books ever reach the silver screen.

1. Erika von Epp [Gregory Sallust]

   Described by DW as 'highborn', and having something of Marlene Dietrich about her. As an aristocrat, she chose to stay in Germany to resist Hitler, rather than flee. She was the mistress of a Jewish arms dealer. Not the conventional background for a heroine! Ken would have cast her with Veronica Lake or Lauren Bacall.

2. Georgina [Roger Brook]

   In many ways the opposite of Erika. Half gypsy, dark haired, vivacious and Roger Brook's long time amour. Notwithstanding that, if they has stayed together for any length of time they would have fought like cats and dogs. She has the sexual morals of an alley cat (a direct quote from Ken, but not from DW!). She is the match of the various (male) leaders she knows, and like Marie Lou (see below), she is always right. In her, Roger has truly met his match. Ken would have cast her with Helena Bonham Carter [brilliant!] or Rachel Weisz.

3. Marie Lou [de Richleau]

   Richard Eaton's wife and the illegitimate daughter of Count Shulimoff, whom the Four Musketeers rescue from 'The Forbidden Territory'. The 'pocket venus' who is the epitome of Parisienne chic. Totally faithful to Richard (unlike Georgina with her husbands), but like Georgina, she is invariably wise and right. For her, Ken would have cast Christina Ricci or Jean Seberg.

4. Marie Antoinette [Roger Brook]

   Roger clearly has a crush on her, but interestingly, he does not try to rescue her from the guillotine. She is over-reliant on others for help, rather than taking the initiative and helping herself.

5. Josephine [Roger Brook]

   Roger develops a deep affection for her. She clearly appealed to DW a lot too, because he inserted her in the books quite a lot. She and Roger may or may not be distantly related. She neither fits in comfortably with the old aristocrats of Paris nor with the revolutionaries. DW appreciates the sensitivities of her position nicely.

6. Sabine [Gregory Sallust]

   A dark-haired Hungarian adventuress whom Gregory first meets in 'Contraband' (1936), which interestingly Ken considers 'the first James Bond book'. Sabine is generally in the company of villainous characters who can provide her with the rich lifestyle she enjoys. She is the daughter of an old friend of Sir Pellinore Gwaine-Cust. We never hear what happens to her. Among the actors Ken might have cast for the role one would have been Nike Arrighi.

7. Clarissa [Roger Brook]

   Interestingly, Ken's favourite female character in DW's books. She is headstrong, doesn't get seasick unlike Roger and most of his colleagues (except for Dan), and saves Roger's life. She marries Roger but then dies (an occupational hazard for a large number of Roger's women). Perhaps the only woman with whom Roger could have a lengthy relationship - given the tempestuous nature of his relationship with Georgina. Ken would perhaps have cast her with Gwyneth Paltrow.

8. Molly Fountain [To The Devil A Daughter and The Satanist]

   Molly forms a double-act with Colonel Verney ('Conky Bill') of the Secret Service. She is an author who worked in one of the Intelligence Departments of the War Office during WWII, and is a good humoured and practical force for good to be reckoned with by some of DW's deadliest villains. To the extent that 'Conky Bill' is based on DW's real-life friend MI5's Maxwell Knight, one member of the audience wondered whether Molly Fountain might be based on Maxwell Knight's MI5 colleague and personal companion Joan Miller - who to judge from the picture on the cover of her autobiography was distinctly good-looking. Ken would perhaps have cast her with Sarah Lawson.

Two of the main revelations to emerge from Ken's talk were (1) how these woman had important roles in the various novels, and (2) how different these women were from one another. Each had their own different physical characteristics and they all had their own distinct personalities; they were definitely not the stereotypes that some people (who have quite possibly never read the books) have from time to time suggested.

After the group had thanked Ken in the customary manner, there followed a tea and coffee break.

During the break, Charles brought in this year's exhibits from the 'Travelling Museum'.

The first was one of DW's suitcases from the 1930s (it can be dated from the hotel stickers on its sides). Once magnificent (it was made by Scott & Co. of 1 Old Bond Street Piccadilly, hatters to the King) but now sadly dilapidated, having served as a prop for a theatrical company for many years. Charles is going to try to get it conserved.

The second was DW's iconic blue dinner jacket in which he took various publicity photos, and in which he was interviewed by Robert Robinson in 1977 - see below. This was given to Charles by the Wheatley family, to whom he was (and is!) most grateful.

After coffee, Mark chaired the group book review; chosen to be of 'The Devil Rides Out' because, having been published in 1934, the book is now in its 90th year.

Mark began by commenting on the rarity of having a classic book that has also been made into a classic film. We are lucky that this had happened with the book in question, and all applauded the way in which Christopher Lee and Charles Gray had portrayed the Duke and Mocata. There had also been some other fine performances - from the likes of a young Rosalyn Landor, Nike Arrighe and from Sarah Lawson.

Mark commented on the metaphorical aspects of the book. We are all to some extent characters who wear masks, as are the characters in the book. Presumably even the Satanists have jobs and pose as regular figures in 'normal' life. And to some extent all are marionettes at the mercy of the strings being pulled by their masters. Indeed, some might see the fate of millions being decided by a few people in oak panelled rooms as being not too dissimilar to the economic fate of the West being decided at Davos.

Ken commented on the importance of females in the book; Tanith, Marie Lou and Fleur. Ken also mentioned that he found the passage where Tanith is led to the Sabbat by the old witch Mizka while dissuaded by the ghost of her mother to be one of the most powerful parts of the book.

Ken also commented on the liberated nature of Countess d'Urfe's comment that Rex might be second in line for Tanith at the Sabbat - if he was quick. Very racy for the 1930s, which elicited a comment from Charles to the effect that the 1920s probably were quite racy, and to recall the old adage that 'every generation thinks it has invented sex'.

Keith commented on how the film would look now, if made with modern special effects. All agreed it would be excellent. Ken commented on how the 'Red Book of Appin' was based on a real story, a copy of which he circulated. He also noted that some words seem to have been left out of the latest version of the film - such as the cover of the Clavicule of Solomon being bound in human skin.

All agreed there are some classic lines in the film, such as 'What do you want to look at his blasted telescope for?' 'I don't'; 'I'm only bringing him round to put him to sleep again'; 'May I borrow a car?' 'Yes, take any of them'; and 'I shall not be back, but something will, tonight'. All classics!

There was a discussion of whether it is an 'appeasement novel', as some have previously suggested. There was general disagreement. While those in the book are trying to prevent a war, this does not necessarily mean they would promote appeasement (there are after all other ways to pre-empt a war), and the group doubted whether in 1934 war was perceived as the great threat it became later in the decade.

Towards the end of the review, Charles commented on DW's account of how he came to write the book, and DW's comment that 'It then occurred to me that, although in Victorian times there had been a great vogue for stories of the occult, in the present century there had been very few'. This was to leave unacknowledged the supernatural stories of M. R. James, Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Conan Doyle ('The Maracot Deep' etc.), Aleister Crowley ('Moonchild'), Somerset Maugham (whose 'The Magician' may well have inspired 'To the Devil A Daughter'),and particularly those of William Hope Hodgson - whose short story 'The Gateway of the Monster' involved a spider-like thing (in fact a hand) trying to break into a pentacle, and almost succeeding when its constructor (Carnacki) upset a jar of protective water, and whose short story 'The Whistling Room' culminated when spiritual disaster threatened with the utterance of the 'unknown last line of the Saaamaaa Ritual'. We know that Montague Summers himself commented to DW on its similarity to his Sussamma Ritual. Indeed, Charles wondered whether DW meeting Aleister Crowley, Rollo Ahmed and Montague Summers had more to do with publicity than it did with original research, although there were a few small areas in DW's occult books which probably were inspired by Crowley.

Whatever its antecedents, and even if it was more derivative than DW cared to admit, it was generally agreed the book was a classic, and as James Hilton of 'Lost Horizon' fame wrote, 'The best tale of its kind since Dracula'.

Following the book review there was a group photoshoot with DW's dinner jacket, and the group went in to lunch.

After lunch and the taking of the 'official photo', which appears at the top of the page, Darren hosted a session on the 'Dennis Wheatley Top Ten'.

Darren had contacted fourteen past and present Conventioneers, and asked then for their top ten books, and then ranked them using the scoring system shown above.

An impressive 51 books had appeared to the lists, showing the popularity with the group of pretty much all of DW's books.

Darren went through those books which had received no mentions (of which there were twelve), then the 'honourable mentions' - the high scorers which had not made it into the top ten, and then the top ten itself - listing them in reverse order.

There were some surprises, but no surprises at the 'Number One'. Interestingly, the highest scoring books also tended to appear on the most lists, confirming the wideness of their appeal.

The top ten books were as follows:

1. The Devil Rides Out

2. The Golden Spaniard

3. The Forbidden Territory

4. To The Devil A Daughter

5. The Haunting Of Toby Jugg

6. The Scarlet Impostor

7. The Quest Of Julian Day

8. Strange Conflict

9. They Used Dark Forces

10. Black August

To see the full list of scores, click here.

Darren's talk was followed by a showing of Robert Robinson's television interview with Dennis Wheatley in January 1977 for The Book Programme; possibly DW's last television interview. Charles described how a copy had turned up on eBay on an early Philips cassette, and the process it had been through in order to get it to play. It was noted that in the interview, DW was wearing the blue Dinner Jacket that was currently on display.

There followed a tea and coffee break.

After the break, there was a discussion of Future Plans.

Anna gave a presentation on various possibilities. They included:

1. Holkham Hall in Norfolk (probably Stillwaters in the Roger Brook series)

2. Buckler's Hard near Lymington (Ka of Gifford Hillary interest)

3. Dartington Hall

4. Elstree

There was a general consensus that Holkham Hall would be excellent for a Field Trip, and that we should have our next Convention back at Dartington.

There was also support for having a Convention at Buckler's Hard on another occasion - one suggested for our Twentieth.

All expressed their gratitude to Anna for her usual inspired research.

Soundings were taken as regards dates. Ken is going to check with Dartington what is available from their side for October / November next year and the date will be finalised after that.

There was then a break, and the group re-convened for Ken and Mary's traditional cocktail party at seven.

Much enjoyed by all, and it was noticed that Ken and Mary had crafted some rather fine 'Goat of Mendes' cocktail sticks. I'm afraid this reviewer nicked one. He hopes Ken and Mary (and the Goat of Mendes) won't mind!

The Cocktail Party was followed by the Convention Dinner in the Solar Room.

The combination of good food, good company, excellent service from the serving staff and from time to time music to cater for everyone's tastes courtesy of Darren, made it an evening not to forget, but what made it a particularly special occasion was a message to those present from Rosalyn Landor (Peggy in 'The Devil Rides Out') wishing everyone a pleasant evening and sharing some of her memories of what it was like filming with Christopher Lee. We were all enormously grateful to both Rosalyn Landor, and to Mary, for facilitating this.

Toasts were given in honour of Dennis Wheatley (by Keith), to absent friends (by Jean) and to the company present (by Anna) to cap off a wonderful evening and what everyone agreed was one of our best Conventions yet.

Many thanks to all who attended for their contributions to making it such a great event.

C.B.
November 2024

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