At our latest reading group we discussed William Vaughan Wilkins (1890-1959), a writer of popular historial romances and adventure stories, and a journalist. We have 14 Wilkins novels in the collection, thanks to a donation by reading group member Jane Varley. (See our holdings here.)
I missed the meeting because I was ill, and was very sorry to do so, for Wilkins – like so many of the novelists we read – had the group divided. Some thought (as I did) that he wrote ‘a good romp’ others were unable to finish their novels!
One of Vaughan Wilkins’ novels, A King Reluctant, was adapted as a film called Dangerous Exile (1958).
Barry wrote of this novel:
I have read, “King Reluctant,” by Vaughan Wilkins, and find that he fully merits his anonymity. I had never previously heard of him and now understand why. His style is typical of those historical novelists of the 1950′s and sixties – full of platitudes. Wilkins is a third class writer. I think he would be popular in those shop libraries, where you paid a fee to borrow a book in the pre 1960 era.Ouch! Still, the cover of A King Reluctant is delightful. There is very little trace of Wilkins online, and the information on wikipedia is inaccurate. Thanks to George Simmers, looking him up on ancestry.co.uk, we have these details:
Born Camberwell 1890 (so not Welsh, as wikipedia says). Father – Clerk in holy orders, who had been born in Nottingham. Mother – born in London.
1911 census – mother a ‘professional vocalist/teacher’. WVW – article writer and sub-editor (works on own account).
1916 Army attestation papers – WVW Working as night editor of Evening Standard. Height 5′ 11”. Chest expanded 38′. Assigned as private to RASC: Horse Transport Army Service Corps. Discharged after 56 days.
1926 – still living with his father in Hammersmith.
1930 – married Mary Stanistreet Powell.
Died 1959 leaving £2837 (so his novels didn’t make him a fortune, but this was probably a respectable amount in those days).
Does anyone else remember this author, or remember their parents reading him? Next, a positive review of a Wilkins novel.
