Acorn Media Publishing has obtained the rights to publish this series in the UK, USA and Canada, and has now released all 5 titles: Clouds of Witness, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Murder Must Advertise, Five Red Herrings, and The Nine Tailors.
For the US and Canadian market, these are available in NTSC format, and are each packaged as a 4 or 5-volume boxed set on VHS tape (list price US$59.95) and as a 2-disc set on DVD Region 1 (list price US$39.95). The complete set of five titles is also available as a 10-disc DVD set (list price US$149.95). These are all available through distributors, as well as direct from Acorn Media.
For other countries, they are available in PAL format, and are
each packaged as a 2-volume boxed set at a much more reasonable list price of
£16.99 for VHS tape or £19.99 for DVD Region 2.
These can be obtained direct from
Acorn Media UK, the UK branch
of Acorn Media Publishing (telephone
These releases are due in no small way to the number of people who have contacted the BBC and various US television companies, demonstrating that there is a real demand for these videos.
The AudioBook dramatised version of some of the stories is currently being re-released, starring Ian Carmichael as the voice of Lord Peter Wimsey. These include Strong Poison and Have His Carcase. There are also various other stories in the BBC Radio Collection, including Gaudy Night read by Edward Petherbridge. Several other editions are available through audio book specialists and general bookshops: see our links page.
Acorn Media Publishing has also obtained the rights to publish this series in the UK, USA and Canada, and has now released all 3 titles: Strong Poison, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night.
In the UK, they are available on PAL format VHS tape (list price £16.99) and Region 2 DVD (£19.99).
In the US and Canada, they are available on NTSC format VHS tape (list price US$19.98) and Region 1 DVD (US$24.98). A box set of all three titles is also available (VHS US$54.98, DVD US$59.98).
These are all available through distributors, as well as direct from Acorn Media.
This is all excellent news, and a testament to the many queries that people have sent to the BBC.
Please do ask about repeat screenings, as they can be better than videos for introducing new viewers to the joys of the Sayers stories! The BBC now have a phone number specifically set up for enquiries about repeat screenings: +44 (0)20 8576 1111.
There are a number of otherwise quite reputable publications and web sites which claim that DLS was inconsistent, by making him 5'9" in the earlier books, but over 6 feet tall in Busman's Honeymoon. This rumour is based originally on an inaccuracy in the biography of DLS by Janet Hitchmann, Such a Strange Lady. Anyone reading Busman's Honeymoon will see that LPW was definitely still short then (in fact, his solving of the crime depends upon it!).
There are others which are genuine quotations or references, but not easy to find. Some of the more obscure ones include:
These and many others can be looked up in The Lord Peter Wimsey Companion.
Since the first edition went out of print a few years ago, Stephan Clarke has been working with an international team of other scholars, and the long-awaited Second Edition was published on 30th December 2002.
The new edition corrects many errors, adds numerous new entries and brings the work up to date with recent additions to the Wimsey canon, including Thrones, Dominations.
For full details, see our press release. Note that stocks are now exhausted, but you may find some copies in bookshops or on the second-hand market. Due to the costs involved (and because Steve has already added many more new entries and corrections!), we are quite unlikely to be doing any reprint of this edition. However, we are planning a CD-ROM or online edition in the near future - please watch this space for further announcements!
The BBC has broadcast several different recordings of this ground-breaking radio play cycle since its first performance in 1941/2, but has so far not published any of them on tape or CD. This may be partly due to performing rights issues, but probably they simply don't think they would sell enough copies to make the venture economic, due to the likely high cost (it would be a box set of 12 disks).
If you would be interested in obtaining a copy, we suggest you write to the BBC at marketingteam@bbc.co.uk, and ask them to consider releasing a commercial recording.
Note: The International Copyright Bureau is only open Tuesdays to Thursdays.The International Copyright Bureau 22A Aubrey House Maida Avenue London W21 1TQ U K Tel: +44 (0)20 7724 8034
The rights in most of her other published works, including the performance rights for plays such as He That Should Come, are administered by:
David Higham Associates 5-8 Lower John Street Golden Square London W1F 9HA U K Tel: +44 (0)20 7434 5900 Fax: +44 (0)20 7437 1072http://www.davidhigham.co.uk/
Email: dha@davidhigham.co.uk
Most of her unpublished works (including her letters) are held in the Marion E Wade Center at Wheaton College, Illinois, where they may be viewed by arrangement for study purposes. Many of her letters have been edited and published by Barbara Reynolds (see our publications and bibliography pages for details).
Copyright © The Dorothy L Sayers Society.
Registered Charity Number 272120