Will Scott and Herne Bay

Will Scott's logo for Herne Bay

We are proud to announce the launch of the latest of our publications: "Will Scott and Herne Bay".

The Leeds-born caricaturist, author and playwright Will Scott (1893-1964), is probably best known for his children’s series the ‘Cherry books’ (published between 1952 and 1965). His literary output included thousands of short stories that appeared in publications such as the Evening News, Strand Magazine and John Bull, as well as three full-length novels featuring the indolent and brilliant detective Theodore Disher, and a volume of short stories about the tramp-detective Giglamps.

Scott’s 1930s mystery play The Limping Man was performed in several West End theatres, broadcast by the BBC Home Service, and filmed in 1931 and 1936. The 1931 film adaptation of The Limping Man (entitled Creeping Shadows, directed by J.O.C. Orton) was advertised as the ‘new Dracula’.

His fiction writing has been compared with that of O. Henry, G. K. Chesterton and Saki (Hector Hugo Munro). Scott’s literary career was, however, secondary both in terms of chronology and of choice, to his time spent as a caricaturist.

Following a brief stint as art editor of Pan magazine in 1920, Scott moved with his family to Herne Bay in Kent and began his career as a writer of fiction. He would occasionally illustrate his own stories with black and white sketches, and sometimes contributed illustrations and designs to publications that promoted Herne Bay. In later years he began to paint again as a hobby.

For more information, visit the Will Scott website, or see the extensive Wikipedia entry compiled by another of our members (thanks Linda).