The Dennis Wheatley 'Museum' - Instant success as an author

The young story teller ...

The cover of 'Mediterranean Nights'(1942)

DW's first story: 'The Snake with the Diamond Eyes'
It was first published in 'Mediterranean Nights', 32 years after it was written.
Remarkably the original manuscript, written when DW was 13, still survives.

Storytelling came naturally to DW. At the age of nine he was the dormitory storyteller in Margate, and at the age of thirteen he wrote his first story, called 'The Snake with Diamond Eyes'.

It survived in the possession of one of DW's Aunt's, who returned it to him once he was famous. It was published as a curiosity in DW's wartime collection of short stories 'Mediterranean Nights'.

References: 'The Young Man Said' pp 64-5
Phil Baker Chapter 3
Mediterranean Nights Story VIII

Provenance:

Private Collection