Another month and another fanstastic line up of great authors and their first published works. It’s the novel that launched them into literary fame. As there are many classic authors we would love to cover, we are going to split this into a series of blog posts. Here are another group of our favourites here from World of Rare Books.

W.E. Johns – The Camels are Coming (1932)

The Camels are Coming was the first Biggles book ever published on the 7th September 1932, nearly 100 of the 160 books written by W.E. Johns were Biggles books. He wanted to create a character that represented the real pilots he knew and worked with. William Earl Johns joined the territorial army as a Private in the King’s Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry), a cavalry regiment. He fought at Gallipoli and in the Suez Canal area. He was posted to No. 25 Flying Training School in Thetford, he wrote off three planes in three days! His plane was shot down and he was wounded and captured by the Germans, he did escape but was then reincarcerated where he remained until the war ended. He passed away whilst writing his last Biggles story. The 12 chapters of “Biggles does some homework” were issued privately in 1997.

“Congratulations flew fast and furious when Major Mullen’s squadron landed, for it had unquestionably been one of the most successful ‘shows’ ever undertaken by the squadron.”
― W.E. Johns

Jane Austen – Sense and Sensibility (1811)

Sense and Sensibility is Jane Austen’s first novel, it was published in 1811 anonymously. It sold out of its first print run of 750 copies in 1813 making it a success for Jane, who had a second print run later that year. The novel has continued in publication throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. This novel is an early example of a category romance novel. With all six of Jane Austen’s novels, they have rarely been out of print, although they were published anonymously and brought her little fame during her lifetime. Her posthumous reputation occurred in 1869 when her nephew published her memoirs introduced her to a new audience. Many films have been inspired by Jane Austen’s work. She will also be a face on Britain’s £10 polymer note, being released in September 2017. Jane Austen is very much here to stay, 200 years on from her death she remains a highly studied author.

“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience- or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”
― Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

George Orwell – Down and Out in Paris and London (1933)

Down and Out in Paris and London is the first published novel of the great George Orwell, it was published in 1933. It is a memoir in two parts about poverty in the two cities. This draws upon George Orwell’s own experiences in 1927 where he would investigate tramping expeditions in and around London and then in Paris in 1928. Orwell was best known for his journalism in essays, reviews, columns in newspapers and in his books of reportage. In writing all his novels he followed and shared these six rules to follow when writing: –

1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

 “It is curious how people take it for granted that they have a right to preach at you and pray over you as soon as your income falls below a certain level.”
― George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London

Isaac Asimov – Pebble in the Sky (1950)

Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov was published in 1950 and was the first novel, it did later become a part of his Empire series. Parts of the Foundation series had appeared in 1942 and onwards but Foundation was not published until 1951 in book form. The book has been reprinted many times over the years.

Isaac Asimov wrote hard science fiction and with fellow authors Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered as one of the big three science fiction writers during his lifetime.

“Any planet is ‘Earth’ to those that live on it.”
― Isaac Asimov, Pebble in the Sky

Graham Greene – The Man Within (1929)

The Man Within was Henry Graham Greene’s, or better known by his pen name of Graham Greene’s first novel. He was regarded by many as one of the great writers of the 20^th century. He first published The Man Within in 1929 and after receiving favourable success he quit his sub-editor job at The Times to become a full-time novelist.

The Man Within tells the story of Francis Andrews, a smuggler who betrays his colleagues and it follow the aftermath of the betrayal. It was the first step towards Graham Greene’s spectacular career and it offers the start of his Roman Catholic themes that continue throughout his other work.

“You put the small thief in prison, but the big thief lives in a palace.”
― Graham Greene

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If you want to see us cover your favourite author, let us know in the comments below and we can add them to our classic literary list.