Introduction Biography Addresses Portraits
Books Short stories Stage plays Film and TV Radio and audio
Quotations Settings Dedications Narrative style Canning in the OED Reading lists Articles on Canning
Centenary News Links Availability Copies for sale

The Victor Canning pages

These pages celebrate the work of Victor Canning (1911 - 1986), a writer of sixty-one books altogether, including one travel book, eighteen novels both comic and serious, four historical novels set in Roman and Arthurian Britain, three children's books, two short story collections (plus an abundance of other stories) and thirty-three thrillers, the best of which are some of the finest ever written in this genre.

Under Life is an introduction for new readers, a short biography, a list of the places where he lived, and a set of portraits.

Under Works you will find a full bibliography including his work for stage, film, TV and radio, with prefaces to all of the books and summaries of all the surviving short stories.

Under Background you will find a collection of brief quotations from Canning's books on a range of subjects and a list of the settings of the novels and stories. I have also created a page about citations from Canning's books in the Oxford English Dictionary, lists of the books he enjoyed himself and recommended to his sister, and a list of articles about Victor Canning, mostly from neswpapers..

Please click News, links and publications to see what is being discovered about the background to the books, where to find the books, and plans for events to mark Canning's centenary in June 2011.


Books by Victor Canning newly back in print


Crippen and Landru forthcoming Comedies and whimsies Mr Finchley discovers Mr Finchley in Paris Mr Finchley takes the road
A new collection of Victor Canning short stories including the superb Minerva Club group. Comedies and whimsies; short stories from newspapers and magazines. Mr. Finchley Discovers his England, Canning's very first book. Mr Finchley Goes to Paris, in which Mr. Finchley falls in love. Mr. Finchley Takes the Road, in which Mr. Finchley travels through Kent in a horse-drawn caravan.

and writing as Alan Gould and as Julian Forest


Two men fought Mercy lane Sanctuary The viaduct Every creature The wooden angel
Two Men Fought, a novel set in Cornwall. Mercy Lane, a novel set in Faversham in Kent. Sanctuary from the dragon, a novel set in Kent. The Viaduct, a historical novel about the building of the Calstock railway viaduct on the Devon/Cornwall border. Every creature of God is Good, a novel set in Somerset. The Wooden Angel, a novel set in Plymouth.

and four companion volumes with background articles and indexes of characters. locations and themes


Mr Finchley companion Rex Carver companion Smiler companion Birdcage companion
  A Mr. Finchley Companion A Rex Carver Comapnion A 'Smiler' Companion A Birdcage Companion

See the News page for information about John Higgins's participation in MASTERMIND on 13 November 2009.

Site created by John Higgins, in June 2000, last updated 20 November 2009.