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Floor Plan |  |
The Dennis Wheatley 'Museum' - DW's Library
Dennis Wheatley's Library - modern first editions
How the wine merchant (later to be novelist) meets the authors
The story of how DW came to meet Aldous Huxley is told by Phil Baker, and DW was similarly keen to meet other authors he liked.
In July 1926, the 29 year old wine merchant wrote nervously to Huxley saying how much he enjoyed his novels, and talked about aspects of his characters. He then mentioned that he had a large collection of Huxley's novels, some of which were signed but others unsigned, and he asked if Huxley would be prepared to sign the remainder. He enclosed a bottle of brandy as an incentive. Huxley wrote back with a three page letter, and signed the novels; adding in some cases additional inscriptions.
Emboldened by this, the young DW wrote further, thanking Huxley and writing :
'To sign my books was generous, but to add the delightful inscriptions - was to give the stranger of your finest wine and then insist that he took home the crystal goblet from which he drank'.
He then added that - if ever Huxley was at a loose end - he would be delighted to entertain him to a quiet dinner. Huxley accepted. They had an informal dinner in DW's then small home in Bayswater, and they got on cordially. Huxley even offered DW some advice on how to write short stories.
References : Phil Baker pp 242-243
Provenance : Private collection
