Severn House Publishers

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Severn House Publishers
Severn House logo.png
Parent company Canongate Books
StatusActive
Founded1974
FounderEdwin Buckhalter
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Headquarters location Surrey
Distribution Grantham Book Services (UK)
DLS Distribution Services (Australia)
Ingram Publisher Services (US) [1]
Fiction genres Crime, romance, historical fiction
Imprints Severn House, Crème de la Crime
Official website http://www.severnhouse.com

Severn House Publishers is an independent publisher of fiction in hardcover and ebooks. [2] Severn House specialises in publishing mid-list authors in both the UK and the USA. Established in 1974, Severn House began republishing out-of-print titles by popular library authors. [3] The publishing house now specialises in providing libraries and the public worldwide with reinforced editions of brand new contemporary fiction, as well as rare or previously unpublished works. Since 2011, Crème de la Crime has been part of Severn House Publishers. [4] [5] In September 2017, Severn House was acquired by Canongate Books. [6]

Contents

Key people

History

Severn House was founded in London in 1974. [7] Originally a publisher of hardback fiction, Severn House now produces titles in all formats, including ebooks and large print. It publishes a broad range of titles, from crime and mystery, through to thrillers, romance, sagas, and historical fiction. While Severn House does occasionally publish debut novelists, the company specialises in series and recognisable, fan-favourite characters from established authors with a strong publication history. [8] Severn House's authors include:

In recent years, Severn House's overseas sales have grown rapidly, in part thanks to a continued presence at worldwide book fairs, including its traditional US market, as well as new ventures in the Middle East. [40] Many of Severn House’s authors are featured on blogs and in trade publications worldwide. Severn House books are published in eBook and hardback.

Crème de la Crime

Originally established in 2004, Crème de la Crime, with its distinctive logo and series jacket style, is known for producing accessible British crime fiction, touching upon female sleuths, hardboiled mysteries, and police procedurals that are both light-hearted and extremely dark in tone. Since 2011, Crème de la Crime has been part of Severn House Publishers, specialising in mid-list authors and publishing approximately two books a month. Kate Lyall Grant, formerly of Simon & Schuster, serves as publisher. In 2014 Crème de la Crime had published some of the best-reviewed British crime writers, including:

Mike Ripley and Margery Allingham

Severn House author Mike Ripley undertook the challenge of completing an unfinished manuscript featuring Albert Campion, the gentleman sleuth created by Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham. Following Allingham's death in 1966, her husband Philip Youngman Carter completed her novel Cargo of Eagles (published 1968), and two further Campion books: Mr Campion’s Farthing and Mr Campion’s Falcon. [52] Upon Youngman Carter's death in 1969, he too left an unfinished manuscript for a Campion novel. [53]

This fragment of manuscript, which contained revisions and minor corrections but no plot outline, character synopsis or plan, was bequeathed to Margery Allingham’s sister Joyce, and upon her death in 2001, the manuscript was left to officials of the Margery Allingham Society. [54] It was not until 2012 when Mike, with the approval and agreement of the Margery Allingham Society, took up the challenge of completing Youngman Carter's manuscript, which has become Mr Campion's Farewell, and was published in March 2014. [55] [56]

Mr Campion's Farewell has received attention in the national press, and has been featured in The Times, The Spectator, The Independent and The Telegraph. [57] [58] [59]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margery Allingham</span> English writer of detective fiction, editor

Margery Louise Allingham was an English novelist from the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", and considered one of its four "Queens of Crime", alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh.

Albert Campion is a fictional character in a series of detective novels and short stories by Margery Allingham. He first appeared as a supporting character in The Crime at Black Dudley (1929), an adventure story involving a ring of criminals, and would go on to feature in another 18 novels and over 20 short stories.

<i>Mystery Mile</i> 1930 novel by Margery Allingham

Mystery Mile is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in 1930, in the United Kingdom by Jarrolds Publishing, London, and in the United States by Doubleday, Doran, New York. Following his first, supporting appearance in The Crime at Black Dudley (1929), it is the first of many novels starring the mysterious Albert Campion, and introduces his butler/valet/bodyguard Magersfontein Lugg.

<i>The Crime at Black Dudley</i> Novel by Margery Allingham

The Crime at Black Dudley, also known in the United States as The Black Dudley Murder, is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in 1929, in the United Kingdom by Jarrolds, London and in the United States by Doubleday Doran, New York. It introduces Albert Campion, her misleadingly vapid detective, who would go on to appear in another 18 novels and many short stories over the next 30 years.

<i>Flowers for the Judge</i> 1936 novel by Margery Allingham

Flowers for the Judge is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in February 1936, in the United Kingdom by Heinemann, London, and in the United States by Doubleday, Doran, New York. It is the seventh novel to feature the mysterious Albert Campion, aided by his grouchy manservant Magersfontein Lugg.

<i>Sweet Danger</i> Novel by Margery Allingham

Sweet Danger is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in October 1933, in the United Kingdom by Heinemann, London and in the United States by The Crime Club as Kingdom of Death; later US versions used the title The Fear Sign. It is the fifth adventure of the mysterious Albert Campion, aided as usual by his butler/valet/bodyguard Magersfontein Lugg, and introduces the recurring character of Amanda Fitton.

<i>Traitors Purse</i> 1941 novel by Margery Allingham

Traitor's Purse is a crime novel written by Margery Allingham. It was originally published in 1941 in the United Kingdom by Heinemann, London and in the United States by Doubleday, New York as The Sabotage Murder Mystery. It is the eleventh novel in the Albert Campion series and is set during the Second World War.

<i>The Fashion in Shrouds</i> 1938 novel by Margery Allingham

The Fashion in Shrouds is a crime novel by English writer Margery Allingham. It was originally published in 1938 in the United Kingdom by Heinemann, London and in the United States by Doubleday, New York. It is the tenth novel in the Albert Campion series.

<i>The Tiger in the Smoke</i> Novel by Margery Allingham

The Tiger in the Smoke is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in 1952 in the United Kingdom by Chatto & Windus and in the United States by Doubleday. It is the fourteenth novel in the Albert Campion series. Critics have called it the finest of the Campion mysteries and her best book.

<i>Death of a Hollow Man</i> Book by Caroline Graham

Death of a Hollow Man is a detective novel by English writer Caroline Graham published by Century in 1989. The story follows Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby investigating the murder of a stage actor during an ongoing play. It is the second volume in Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby series, preceded by The Killings at Badger's Drift and followed by Death in Disguise. It has been adapted into an episode in the ITV drama Midsomer Murders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amateur detective</span> Type of fictional character

The amateur detective, or sometimes gentleman detective, is a type of fictional character. He has long been a staple of crime fiction, particularly in detective novels and short stories set in the United Kingdom in the Golden Age. The heroes of these adventures are often members of the British gentry or gentlemen by conduct. They are sometimes contrasted with professional police force detectives from the working classes.

<i>Hide My Eyes</i> 1958 novel by Margery Allingham

Hide My Eyes is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in 1958, in the United Kingdom by Chatto & Windus, London. It was published in the U.S. under the titles Tether's End or Ten Were Missing. It is the sixteenth novel in the Albert Campion series and was a runner-up for the Gold Dagger Award.

Evan Stuart Marshall is an American literary agent, author of murder mysteries and nonfiction books, editor, and publisher of Marshall Plan software.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telos Publishing</span> British independent publisher

Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001. The name comes from that of the fictional planet Telos from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

G. M. Malliet is an American author of mystery novels and short stories. She is best known as the author of the award-winning Detective Chief Inspector St. Just mysteries and the Rev. Max Tudor mysteries. The first book in her US-based series, Augusta Hawke, appeared in 2022.

Clea Simon is an American writer. She is the author of World Enough, a psychological suspense thriller set in the Boston music scene, and the Blackie and Care, Theda Krakow, Dulcie Schwartz, Pru Marlowe, and Witch Cats of Cambridge cozy feline mysteries. Her non-fiction books include Madhouse: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings, Fatherless Daughters and Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection between Women and Cats.

References

  1. Contact
  2. "Severn House: About Us".
  3. "Severn House Publishers Announcement". New Library World.
  4. Kate Lyall Grant (5 March 2012). "Creme de la Crime - new publisher at Severn House". The Bookseller.
  5. "KLG at Severn House Publishers". Publishers Weekly.
  6. "Canongate Acquires Severn House". Publishers Weekly.
  7. "Mystery Announcements". Library Journal. Fall 2013.
  8. "Severn House: Official Website".
  9. "Rosemary Aitken".
  10. "Lin Anderson".
  11. "Charles Atkins".
  12. "Donald Bain".
  13. "Sandra Balzo".
  14. "The Fabergé Secret". London 2020 Rights Guide. Adult Titles (PDF). Writers House. p. 6. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
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  24. "Cynthia Harrod-Eagles".
  25. "Peter Helton".
  26. "Graham Ison - author".
  27. "Home Page of J. Sydney Jones".
  28. "Severn House". Severn House. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  29. "Graham Masteron: The Official Site".
  30. "Complete Kirkus Reviews for Graham Masterton".
  31. "R. N. Morris".
  32. "Chris Nickson: author".
  33. "John Pilkington".
  34. "Sarah Rayne".
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  37. "Stephen Solomita".
  38. "Marcia Talley's Main Page".
  39. "Dark Passage by Marcia Talley, pub. Severn House". Publishers Weekly. May 2013.
  40. "More Growth at Sharjah Book Fair". Publishers Weekly. November 2011.
  41. "Simon Brett: books".
  42. "Corpse on the Court by Simon Brett, pub. Severn/Creme de la Crime". Kirkus Reviews.
  43. "Paul C. Doherty".
  44. "The Straw Men by Paul Doherty, pub. Severn/Creme de la Crime". Kirkus Reviews.
  45. "Kate Ellis".
  46. "Paul Johnston: books and biography".
  47. "Review of The Black Life by Paul Johnston, pub. Severn/Creme de la Crime". Publishers Weekly.
  48. "Jim Kelly Official Website".
  49. "Nightrise by Jim Kelly". Kirkus Reviews.
  50. "Roger Morris".
  51. "M. J. Trow".
  52. "Margery Allingham bibliography". Archived from the original on 24 September 2010.
  53. "The Return of Albert Campion".
  54. "Mike Ripley talks to Crime Time".
  55. "Duncan Torrens talks to Mike 'the Ripster' Ripley".
  56. "Mr Campion's Farewell - Severn House".
  57. "Review of Mr Campion's Farewell". The Spectator.
  58. "Margery Allingham: 'the Dickens of detective writing'".
  59. Mike Ripley (26 April 2014). "Wanted dead or alive: Why do fictional sleuths keep coming out of retirement?". The Independent.