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![]() The Dennis Wheatley 'Museum' - Champions of Reincarnation: Dennis Wheatley & Joan GrantInstant success : Joan Grant publishes 'Winged Pharaoh'Joan Grant's first and most famous book, The copy Joan and Leslie signed and Click on the images to enlarge A copy inscribed by the publisher For a transliteration of the inscription click here Click on the image to enlarge 'Winged Pharaoh' was published in October 1937, with a printed dedication to 'D.S.', i.e. Daisy Sartorius and the dust jacket drawn by Architect / Egyptological draughtsman Ralf Lavers, whom they had met through the excavations. Lavers was later also to illustrate several of Joan's other books. The book sold so well that it went into a second and third edition the same month. Fourth, fifth and sixth editions followed in November, December and the following February, and it has seldom been out of print since. DW helped with the promotion (see the following exhibit), and the book's clarity, charm, simple prose and message of hope struck a chord around the world. It was very well received in America, when Harper published it there later in the year, and the book flew off the shelves to favourable reviews notwithstanding its bulk (it ran to almost four hundred pages) and price of 10/6. This compared to a price tag of 7/6 for Dennis Wheatley's novels at the time (increased to 8/6 shortly thereafter), and 12/6 for his factual book of that year, 'Red Eagle'. 'Winged Pharaoh' was therefore something of a luxury item. Like Dennis Wheatley four year before, Joan Grant had instantly 'arrived'. References : Publication history recorded in later editions Provenance: Private collections |
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