William Kimber Ghost & Horror Titles

[dem bones]

WILLIAM KIMBER (76), doyen of ghost story publishers, died after a long illness on 26th April 1991. Seventeen years after joining Hutchinson, he founded William Kimber & Co in 1950, and the company retained its unique individuality until 1988 when it was bought by Thorsons. Known primarily for his specialities of war memoirs, autobiographies and motor-racing subjects, Kimber began publishing ghost story titles after the initial success of HAUNTED CORNWALL edited by Denys Val Baker in 1973. The annual Baker anthologies were soon joined by the collections of Mary Williams and James Turner, and the series (most instantly recognisable in their Iconicus dust jackets) continued to appear regularly with an average output of four or five titles each year. More than any other publisher William Kimber helped to keep new ghost story collections (as well as anthologies) before the public. R. Chetwynd Hayes, Meg Buxton, Frank Baker, Fred Urquhart, A. G. Scupham and Lanyon Jones, were among the names added to the list, and such acclaimed writers as A. L. Barker, J. C. Trewin, Rosalind Wade and Derek Stanford (who all deserve ghost story collections of their own) contributed regularly to Kimber anthologies. The passing of William Kimber marks the end of an era, and all ghost story devotees will hope that other likeminded publishers will arise to take his place.

From Obituaries, by Richard Dalby; The Ghost Story Society Newsletter #8, July 1991.

Chrissie Demant

Vault made an attempt at listing all the Kimber titles on our first board but it was always going to be a tough ask, not least because between us we didn't have so many of the books! The relevant threads are:

Ionicus
Denys Val Baker Anthologies
Kimber supernatural fiction: let's list the lot
Peter C. Smith Anthologies

Chetwynd-Hayes certainly enjoyed his time with the company:

Kimber was always very good to me. I had to cater for the public library trade, which is really middle-aged ladies and they like a gentle ghost story. I don't regret that. I'd love to get into paperbacks again - that's where the real money is and, of course, you get mass readership there as well. Still, you probably get as many readers eventually through library editions. I was averaging 18, 000 borrowings per book per year.

From - where else? - the Steve Jones & Jo Fletcher interview in Skeleton Crew, Sept. 1990.

Libraries. That's where I remember them from. And shops that specialised in remaindered books. There was a time when you couldn't move for the things. Now, I can't remember the last time I encountered one on my creepy crawls around the charity shops and markets, and I've been looking hard. Where have they all disappeared to?

Anyhow, I think it's time to make a fresh start on tackling the Kimber back catalogue ....

[alansjf]

demonik, I've just add the first of Rick Ferreira's two Kimber anthologies to the thread above this one (I'm actually waiting on a copy of the other one; I'll post a scan and toc once I get hold of it).

[Johnlprobert]

There was a time when you couldn't move for the things. Now, I can't remember the last time I encountered one on my creepy crawls around the charity shops and markets, and I've been looking hard. Where have they all disappeared to?

I think you'll find a lot of them have ended up at my house

[dem bones]

Here's the list from Vauly Mk. 1 as mainly compiled by severance, steve, Bob Rothwell (RIP) and John Probert: if you've anything to add, please do so!

Anthologists

Peter Haining

Dead Of Night (1981)

The editor brings the shadows and spectres and stranglers and surprises together in an admirable choice.

Greasepaint And Ghosts (1982)

A spine-chilling collection of tales of the supernatural, the mysterious and the macabre set in the world of theatre where illusion is king.

Nightcaps And Nightmares (1983)

In this entertaining collection Peter Haining takes us into the realms where the ghostly is often blended with humour.

Christmas Spirits (1983)

A gathering of Ghosts for the festive season

Ghost Tour : An Armchair Journey Through the Supernatural (1984)

Over the years Peter Haining has travelled extensively throughout Britain, Europe America in search of tales of ghostly dread. This collection contains the very cream of his discoveries

Hallowe'en Hauntings (1984)

The Ghost Ship: Stories of the Phantom Flying Dutchman (1985)

Tune in for Fear: A Choice of Supernatural Radio Stories (1985)

Supernatural Sleuths (1986)

Haining also edits the not-quite single author collection "Shades Of Dracula: The Uncollected Stories Of Bram Stoker" (1982)

Denys Val Baker

Haunted Cornwall (1973, Nel 1973)
Stories of the Macabre (1976)
Stories of the Night (1976)
Stories of Horror and Suspense (1977)
Stories of The Occult (1978)
Stories of the Supernatural (1979)
Stories of Fear (1980)
Cornish Ghost Stories (1980)
Ghosts in Country Houses (1981)
When Churchyards Yawn (1982)
Stories of Haunted Inns (1982)
Ghosts in Country Villages (1983)
Phantom Lovers (1984)
Haunted Travellers (1985)

Amy Myers

After Midnight Stories (1985)
The Second Book of After Midnight Stories (1986)
The Third Book of After Midnight Stories (1987)
The Fourth Book of After Midnight Stories (1987)

"The Fifth Book of After Midnight Stories" was published by Robert Hale in 1991

Peter C. Smith

The Haunted Sea (1973)
Undesirable Properties (1977)
The Phantom Coach (1979)
Haunted Shores (1980)
Uninvited Guests (1984)

R. Chetwynd-Hayes

Doomed to the Night: An Anthology of Ghost Stories (1978).

Clive Leatherdale

The Origins Of Dracula: The Background To Bram Stoker's Gothic Masterpiece (1987)

Single Author Collections

R. Chetwynd-Hayes

The Cradle-Demon (1978)
The Fantastic World Of Kamtellar (1978)
Tales Of Darkness (1981)
Tales From Beyond (1982)
Tales From The Other Side (1983: US title, 'The Other Side', Tor, 1988)
A Quiver Of Ghosts (1984)
The King's Ghost Novel (1985)
Tales From The Dark Lands (1985)
Ghosts From The Mists Of Time (1985)
Tales From The Shadows (1986)
Tales From The Haunted House (1986)
Dracula's Children (1987)
The House Of Dracula (1987)
Tales From The Hidden World (1988)

Mary Williams

The Dark Land: A Book of Cornish Ghost Stories (1975)
Chill Company: Ghost Stories from Cornwall (1976)
Where Phantoms Stir: Ghost Stories (1976)
They Walk at Twilight: Stories of Ghosts and the Occult (1977)
Unseen Footsteps: Ghost Stories (1977)
Where No Birds Sing: Stories of the Macabre (1977/78?)
The Haunted Valley and other ghost stories (1978)
Ghostly Carnival: Cornish Ghost Stories (1980)
The Dark God: A Novel of the Occult and other Supernatural Stories (1980)
The Haunted Garden (1986)
Haunted Waters (1987)

Lanyon Jones

The Seven Deadly Sins: Stories Of The Macabre (1979)
When Dusk Comes Creeping (1987)

L. H. Maynard & M. P. N. Sims

Shadows At Midnight (1979)

James Turner

Staircase to the Sea - Fourteen Ghost Stories (1974)
The Way Shadows Fall: Fourteen Ghost Stories (1975)

Meg Buxton

One Footprint In The Sand : Stories Of The Supernatural (1979)
No Earthly Reason: Stories Of The Supernatural (1980)

A. G. Scupham

Duty To The Devil & Other Ghost Stories (1981)

Frank Baker

Stories Strange and Sinister (1983)

Fred Urquhart

Seven Ghosts In Search ... (1983)

Thomas Owen

The Desolate Presence and other uncanny stories (translated from the French by Iain White) (1984)


It's a start .....

[Swampirella]

My copy of the A. G. Scupham book arrived today: "Celtic legends, ghosts, black magic and possession are the themese ofthe author's absorbing title story, "Duty to the Devil".......Scottish legends and history form the basis of the author's other ghost stories in this fascinating collection".

1. Out of Touch

Derek Grembler and some friends are camping on the coast of Galloway to "enjoy a holiday weekend". As we join the story, he's apparently managed to fall part-way down a cliff and entered a time-slip and been rescued by Lang. It turns out Lang's father is Sawney Bean. It gave an entirely different meaning to "he seemed agreeably impressed iwth the stockiness of Derek's build, his gaze lingering on the muscular calves and thighs". For me, this well-written story entirely failed to live up to it's promise.

2. A Presence in Passing

Martin Shore sees an eerie woman's face in the back-seat of his recently acquired second-hand 1972 Mark III Cortina on the way to work one morning. There's also that occasional "hyancinthine" scent. It seems she shows up just before near-fatal accidents. But will they always be near fatal?

3. The Ghost of Gaela

Esteemed photographer Lindsay Cartier Smith meets amateur Bill Edmiston in the departure lounge of Edinburgh airport where they're both waiting for a shuttle to London and then on to Australia (Bill) and Africa (Lindsay). After they board, Lindsay tells Bill a story. In the winter of 59 he went to shoot wildlife photos near the Cairngorms. There he encounters the ghost of Gaela...

4. Mocking's Catching

Lonely supervisor Agnes Strathdune moves into a new house and is told of a horrific incident that happened there in the 60s. Agnes decides to spice up her life by pretending that she's been getting obscene phone calls to her colleagues and "juniors" at the office, and that her house was broken into. One of her underlings, Doris, decides to get her boyfriend to go over and scare Agnes. The final paragraph with it's sting left me confused.....

5. The Feggate Farm Affair

Alex and Martha Leyffern encounter the ghosts of a man and child in and near their home, and he and wife Martha seem to have a ghost in their home who likes to make ghostly tea at all hours. Elderly Mrs. Macdrummochy holds the key to this mystery.

6. Duty To The Devil

The title story takes up most of the book, at just over 100 pages. "When Terence and Diane Farnecliff join a coach tour of Scotland for their honeymoon, they were ill-prepared for the nightmare series of events that was to follow - all emanating from the seemingly innocent wedding gift of a Scottish antique crusie lamp. But it heralded terrifying consequences, based on the sad story of Lady Rachel Grange, incarcerated on St. Kilda for ten years, whose spirit still lingers" Personally I wish this was half the length it was, and just couldn't warm to Terence and Diane.

Not bad but no great either. I'll be donating this one very shortly.