The King Kong of the thriller: the phenomenal output of Edgar Wallace, once the world’s most popular author

At the time of his death in 1932 Edgar Wallace had published some 200 books, 25 plays, 45 collections of short stories, several volumes of verse, countless newspaper and magazine articles, movie scripts, radio plays and more. His work was dictated, transcribed and sent directly to the publisher. In one year alone (1929) he wrote a dozen books. People joked about getting ‘the weekly Wallace’.

Despite their speed of creation, Wallace’s stories were, said The Spectator, written in plain, clear English and ‘read by everyone, from bishops to barmen’. His influence on the thriller genre was extensive, profound and continuous. He inspired a thousand imitators with The Four Just Men, Mr J.G. Reeder, Sanders of the River and Educated Evans. He wrote humour and thrillers, SF and reportage. With instincts for a good publicity stunt, he created a brand image: long cigarette holder, stetson, jodhpurs, riding boots.

A quarter of the English public read his books. One of his many publishers alone sold 30 million copies. He led an extravagant life, gambled heavily, bought race-horses and stood for Parliament. His generosity was famous. At his death he owed millions. His enormous debts were settled in a couple of years.

Born illegitimately to a touring actress and fostered by a good-hearted
Billingsgate porter and his wife, the young Wallace saw his natural mother frequently and developed a warm relationship with his foster family. Starting by selling newspapers in Ludgate Hill, he left school at the age of 12 to try several jobs before joining the army and being posted as a medical orderly to South Africa, where he came in contact with a local literary circle.
They encouraged him to send out his Kiplingesque poetry. He began to earn a reputation as a ‘soldier poet’ and wrote verses welcoming Kipling to Cape Town.