Ronald Henry Glynn Chetwynd-Hayes (30 May 1919 – 20 March 2001) was a British author, known best for his ghost and horror stories. Mike Ashley , ''Who's Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction''. Elm Tree Books, . (p. 52-3)Chris Morgan, "Chetwynd-Hayes, R(onald Henry Glynn)" in

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whi ...

, ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers''. London : St. James Press, 1998, (pp. 135–137).

Biography

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Chetwynd-Hayes worked in the furnishing trade. His first published work was the science fiction novel ''The Man From The Bomb'' of 1959. He subsequently published many collections and ten other novels including ''The Grange'', ''The Haunted Grange'', ''And Love Survived'' and ''The Curse of the Snake God''. Several of his short works were adapted into anthology-style movies in the United Kingdom, including ''

The Monster Club ''The Monster Club'' is a 1981 British anthology horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Vincent Price and John Carradine. An anthology film, it is based on the works of the British horror author R. Chetwynd-Hayes. It was the fina ...

'' and ''

From Beyond the Grave ''From Beyond the Grave'' is a 1974 British anthology horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by Kevin Connor, produced by Milton Subotsky and based on short stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes. It was the last in a series of anthology films ...

''. Chetwynd-Hayes' book ''The Monster Club'' contains references to a movie-maker named Vinke Rocnnor, an

anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...

of Kevin Connor, the director of ''From Beyond The Grave''.

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later ...

played Chetwynd-Hayes in ''The Monster Club''. He also edited more than 20 anthologies. Chetwynd-Hayes assumed the editorship of the ''Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories'' after the departure of the previous editor,

Robert Aickman Robert Fordyce Aickman (27 June 1914 – 26 February 1981) was an English writer and conservationist. As a conservationist, he co-founded the Inland Waterways Association, a group which has preserved from destruction and restored England's inl ...

. Chetwynd-Hayes also edited several other anthologies, including the ''Armada Monster Book'' series for children. Chetwynd-Hayes was nicknamed "Britain's Prince of Chill" by British horror

fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...

Reception

Ashley described Chetwynd-Hayes' story "The Gatecrasher", about the ghost of

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...

, as a "powerful tale". Chris Morgan stated about Chetwynd-Hayes: "at his best he is a fine writer, capable of producing gripping and wonderfully atmospheric stories at all lengths".

Awards

He won the

Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement The Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement annually recognizes one to three living artists for "superior achievement in an entire career" which has "substantially influenced the horror genre". It is conferred by the Horror Writers Association, ...

for 1988, and the

British Fantasy Society The British Fantasy Society (BFS) was founded in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an offshoot of the British Science Fiction Association. The society is dedicated to promoting the best in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres. ...

Special Award in 1989.

Death

Chetwynd-Hayes died from bronchial pneumonia on 20 March 2001.

References

External links