Collins Annual 1963

 

My Jane Shaw Reads in 2020

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to read as much Jane Shaw as I would have liked this year. I only read five books. The House of the Glimmering Light was one, of course, which I read in depth while preparing to write the introduction to the reissue, along with Amanda's Spies. I also read three Penny books in a row back in April: Threepenny Bit, Fourpenny Fair and Fivepenny Mystery. Fourpenny Fair is my favourite in the Penny series. I also read two Susan stories: Where is Susan? and Susan's Kind Heart. Of all the "travel" stories that Jane Shaw wrote, Where is Susan? is the best in my opinion. I hope to read a lot more in 2021.

Annuals

Jane Shaw's first short story, Amanda's Spies, was pubished in the first Collins Girls' Annual in 1941. Her last short story, Jumble Sale, was published in the last Collins Girls' Annual in 1963. She was the only author to have stories published in both books and was a regular contributor throughout the 22 years that the annual was published. She also penned stories for other Collins annuals during this time, such as the Children's Annual. These tended to be stories for a younger audience, with titles like Tiger Kitten and The Dog that Couldn't Learn Tricks. Although the first Girls' Annual came out in 1941, annuals were by no means a new concept. Collins had been publishing the predecessor Schoolgirls' Annual since the 1920s. 

Collins Girls' Annual 1941

When I was looking for an angle for the introduction to House of the Glimmering Light, I started by focusing on an earlier Jane Shaw story in a similar setting. Amanda’s Spies was her very first published short story and, like Glimmering Light, was set on a Scottish loch during the war and involved two girls investigating the possibility of Nazi spies in Scotland. However, Amanda’s Spies is far less serious in tone and the heroines are a bit younger than Angela and Noel from Glimmering Light. But it showed how Jane Shaw was approaching her writing at the time and served as a good basis for the introduction. The short story was published in the very first Collins Girls’ Annual in 1941 Here is a scan of the cover, which is very hard to find. Thanks to Clarissa from GGBP for sharing this with me.

2020 in the World of Jane Shaw

What a year it has been, and I realize that throughout 2020 I didn’t post anything to Wichwood Village. So, in the dying seconds of the year, I’ll take the chance to note the latest developments in the world of Jane Shaw. The major event this year was the reissue (after 77 years!) of House of the Glimmering Light by Girls Gone By Publishers. I was happy to write the introduction to the book, which was no easy task. But I managed it in the end and received some positive feedback. I’m glad that the book finally got a second chance. It is one of the most difficult Jane Shaw titles to find and so it is great that people can now enjoy it and soak up the atmosphere of Loch Etive and the surrounding area. According to Clarissa at GGBP, the next title to be reprinted is the last Penny book, Crooked Sixpence. Readers were given the choice of a Northmead book and Crooked Sixpence, and the latter won. So, that gives Jane Shaw enthusiasts something to look forward to in 2021. Clarissa also said that the 2019 reissue of Highland Holiday sold out very quickly, showing that there is still a considerable demand for Jane Shaw’s books.