Herbert van Thal
Herbert van Thal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1904 |
| Died | 1983 |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, publisher, literary agent, editor, anthologist |
| Known for | Pan Book of Horror Stories series, editing Victorian literature and anthologies |
Bertie Maurice van Thal (1904–1983), who was professionally known as Herbert van Thal, was a prominent British figure in bookselling, publishing, literary agency, biography, and anthology compilation.
Biography
Van Thal descended from a family with notable ties; his grandfather was involved in distilling King's Liqueur Whisky and held a directorship at the theatre management company Howard and Wyndham. The family’s social circle included distinguished personalities such as Henry Irving and Harry Lauder.
Following the conclusion of World War II, Van Thal partnered with Margaret Douglas-Home and Gwylim Fielden Hughes to establish the publishing firm Home and van Thal. This company gained recognition as a "mushroom" publisher due to its swift rise in the immediate postwar period. Around 1952, it was merged into Arthur Barker Ltd., where Van Thal assumed the roles of manager and editor. Subsequently, he took on the position of general editor for the Doughty Library series issued by Anthony Blond.
Van Thal maintained a close professional relationship with the critic James Agate, whom he first encountered in 1932. Agate remarked on Van Thal’s distinctive personal style, often characterized by wearing a sharp suit accompanied by a bow tie, monocle, and polished black shoes.
An authority on Victorian literature, opera, and Restoration-era drama, Van Thal was among the early publishers to bring attention to Hermann Hesse’s work. He also reintroduced writings by George Gissing and Theodore Hook to contemporary readers and edited memoirs authored by Thomas Adolphus Trollope.
His editorial career was marked by the extensive creation of anthologies specializing in detective and horror fiction. Notably, he oversaw the Pan Book of Horror Stories series, which expanded to 24 editions between 1959 and 1983. Additionally, Van Thal compiled biographical collections focusing on Hilaire Belloc (1970) and Walter Savage Landor (1973), as well as editing correspondence and papers of music critic Ernest Newman.
Further reading
- Herbert van Thal, The Tops of the Mulberry Trees, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1971 – autobiography.
- Johnny Mains, Lest You Should Suffer Nightmares: A Biography of Herbert van Thal, Pontlottyn: Screaming Dreams, 2011, featuring illustrations by Les Edwards.