Severn House Publishers is an independent publisher of fiction in hardcover and ebooks. 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. 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and the public worldwide with reinforced editions of brand new contemporary fiction, as well as rare or previously unpublished works.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. In September 2017, Severn House was acquired by

Canongate Books Canongate Books (trading as Canongate) is an independent publishing firm based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is named after the Canongate area of the city. It is most recognised for publishing the Booker Prizewinner ''Life of Pi''. Canongate was n ...

Key people

*CEO: Jamie Byng *Publisher: Joanne Grant *Sales & Operations Director: Michelle Duff

History

Severn House was founded in London in 1974. 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. Severn House's authors include: * Rosemary Aitken * John Altman *

Lin Anderson Lin (Linda) Anderson (born in Greenock, Scotland) is a Tartan Noir crime novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. the Rhona MacLeod books are being developed for ITV. Life and career An ...

*Charles Atkins * Donald Bain *Sandra Balzo *

Dorothy Cannell Dorothy Cannell is an English-American mystery writer. Biography Dorothy Cannell was born in London, England. She moved to the United States in 1963 at the age of 20. She married Julian Cannell in 1964 and they lived in Peoria, Illinois, for many ...

*Simon Beaufort *

Charles Belfoure Charles Belfoure (born 19 February 1954) is an American writer, architect and historian specializing in historic preservation, author of several histories and fiction works, including ''The New York Times'' best-selling novel '' The Paris Archit ...

*Lisa Black *

Alys Clare Alys Clare is a pseudonym of Elizabeth Harris, author of English historical whodunnit novels primarily set in medieval times, featuring the characters of Abbess Helewise and Josse d'Acquin. Brought up in the countryside close to where the Hawk ...

Simon Clark (novelist) Simon Clark (born 20 April 1958) is a horror novelist from Doncaster, England. He is the author of the novel ''The Night of the Triffids'', the novella ''Humpty's Bones'', and the short story ''Goblin City Lights'', which have all won awards. M ...

*Daniel Depp *

Paul C. Doherty Paul Charles Dominic Doherty (born 21 September 1946) is an English author, educator, lecturer and historian. He is also the Headmaster of Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green, Trinity Catholic High School in London, England. Doherty is ...

Diane Fanning Diane Fanning (born, June 21, 1950) is an American crime writer and author who writes nonfiction and mystery novels. Biography Fanning was born Diane Lynn Butcher in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from Perry Hall High School, and then Lynch ...

*Michael Gregorio * Peter Guttridge *

Bernard Knight Bernard Henry Knight (born 3 May 1931) is a British forensic pathologist and writer. He became a Home Office pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, in 1980. Early life ...

Barbara Hambly Barbara Hambly (born August 28, 1951) is an American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction. She is the author of the bestselling Benjamin January mystery series featuring a free ...

*Cynthia Harrod-Eagles *Peter Helton *Graham Ison *J. Sydney Jones *Patricia Macdonald *

Graham Masterton Graham Masterton (born 16 January 1946, in Edinburgh) is a British author known primarily for horror fiction. Originally editor of '' Mayfair'' and the British edition of '' Penthouse'', his debut novel, ''The Manitou'', was published in 1976. T ...

*R. N. Morris *

Chris Nickson Chris Nickson (born 1954) is a British writer, novelist, music journalist, and biographer. Biography Nickson was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, but lived in the United States from the age of 21, returning to the UK in 2005. As a music journalist, ...

*Una-Mary Parker *John Pilkington * Robert Randisi *Sarah Rayne *

Mike Ripley Mike Ripley was born in 1952 and is the British author of the award-winning ‘Angel’ series of comedy thrillers as well as a critic and archaeologist. Life and work Ripley is the author of the ''Angel'' series of comedy thrillers set mainly in E ...

*Pauline Rowson *

Kate Sedley Kate Sedley (born 30 July 1926) is the pen-name of Brenda Margaret Lilian Clarke (née Honeyman), an English historical novelist. She was born in Bristol in 1926 and educated at The Red Maids' School, Westbury-on-Trym. She is married and has ...

*Clea Simon *Stephen Solomita *

Marcia Talley Marcia Talley is an American mystery novelist, author of the Hannah Ives mystery series, two collaborative novels, and numerous short stories. A former librarian, she took early retirement in 2000 to write full-time. Early life, education and ca ...

*Carter Wilson *David Wishart 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. 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: *

Simon Brett Simon Anthony Lee Brett OBE FRSL (born 28 October 1945 in Worcester Park, Surrey, England) is a British author of detective fiction, a playwright, and a producer-writer for television and radio. As an author, he is best known for his mystery s ...

*Kate Ellis *Paul Johnston *

Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United State ...

*R. N. Morris *

M. J. Trow Meirion James Trow (born 16 October 1949) is a Welsh author of crime fiction, who writes under the name M. J. Trow. He has written mysteries featuring Inspector Lestrade, Peter Maxwell, Kit Marlowe and Margaret Murray. Biography Trow was bor ...

Mike Ripley and Margery Allingham

Severn House author

undertook the challenge of completing an unfinished manuscript featuring

Albert Campion 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, ...

, the gentleman sleuth created by Golden Age crime writer

Margery Allingham Margery Louise Allingham (20 May 1904 – 30 June 1966) 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. Alli ...

. Following Allingham's death in 1966, her husband Philip Youngman Carter completed her novel ''

Cargo of Eagles ''Cargo of Eagles'' is a crime novel by Margery Allingham, first published in 1968, in the United Kingdom by Chatto & Windus, London. It was incomplete at her death in 1966 and completed by her husband Philip Youngman Carter. It is the nineteent ...

'' (published 1968), and two further Campion books: ''Mr Campion’s Farthing'' and ''Mr Campion’s Falcon''. Upon Youngman Carter's death in 1969, he too left an unfinished manuscript for a Campion novel. 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. 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. ''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''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Severn House Publishers Publishing companies of the United Kingdom Publishing companies established in 1974 Book publishing companies based in London 1974 establishments in England