The Dennis Wheatley 'Museum' - Champions of Reincarnation: Dennis Wheatley & Joan Grant

DW promotes 'Winged Pharaoh'

DW's comments appear on the penultimate page
of an early promotional booklet for 'Winged Pharaoh'

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DW's endorsement dominates the promotional postcard

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DW writes to Manchester bookseller
J.D. Hughes promoting 'Winged Pharaoh'
and gives him a specially signed copy of the book

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Dennis Wheatley helped promote 'Winged Pharaoh' in at least five ways.

First he reviewed it himself in 'Current Literature', in which he wrote :

'WINGED PHARAOH is beyond all praise .... It is so wise, so beautiful; a flame of light in the darkness of our barbaric modern world. It should bring escape and hope and serenity of soul to thousands who once having read it will remember it with joy all their lives.'

And they did.

Second, he passed a copy to his friend the critic and author Howard Spring, who gave it a sensational review in 'The Evening Standard'. It took up his entire allocated space and ended :

'If people will accept the teachings of this book it could lead to a new age of chivalry'

Third, DW was quoted in the promotional postcard and booklet, as shown above.

Fourth, as he had done with his own first novel 'The Forbidden Territory', he promoted the book direct to booksellers. As can be seen from the final exhibit in this section, when he was thanking a Manchester bookseller for his kindness during a book signing, not only did he put a 'plug' for Joan's book in his letter, but he got Joan to personally inscribe a copy for the bookseller, and sent it up with his letter. DW was a 'dab hand' at nice marketing.

Finally, in late 1938/early 1939, as well as promoting Winged Pharaoh, DW hosted a series of lectures at his home on a variety of what we would now perhaps call 'New Age' subjects, including reincarnation, to which he invited the likes of his friend at MI5 Maxwell Knight. To see details click here.

References : Phil Baker pp 374-5, 378
Drink and Ink pp 152-154.

Provenance: Promotional brochure courtesy of Steve Whatley