Sarban (author)
Encyclopedia
John William Wall pen name Sarban, was a British
writer and diplomat. Wall's diplomatic career lasted more than thirty years, but his writing career as Sarban was brief and not prolific, ending during the early 1950s. Sarban is described in The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
as
"a subtle, literate teller of tales, conscious of the darker and less acceptable implications that underlie much popular literature".
Wall cited the supernatural fiction of Arthur Machen
and Walter de la Mare
as influences on his work.
in Yorkshire
, the son of George William Wall, a passenger guard on the Great Central Railway
, and Maria Ellen (née Moffatt) Wall. After Mexborough School, he studied English at Jesus College
, Cambridge and received first-class honors. He also studied Arabic and took the Consular Service Examination.
Wall married Eleanor Alexander Riesle on 20 January 1950 and they had one daughter. Wall and his wife were separated legally during 1971.
, Lebanon
. Subsequently, he was stationed at Jeddah
, Tabriz
, Esfahan and Casablanca
. After WWII
, he was Counsellor at the British Middle East Office in Cairo
until 1952. He was British Ambassador to Paraguay 1957-8 and Consul-General at Alexandria 1963-5. He was honoured in 1953 as a Companion of the Order of St Michael & St George for his diplomatic work.
Wall continued to work for the Foreign Office
, at first in a teaching position in London, 1966–1970, and then at the Government Communications Headquarters, a secret surveillance centre, in Cheltenham
. Wall retired from the Foreign Office during 1977, and retired to Monmouthshire
.
(1952), which presupposes that the Nazis have won World War II
and built amusement parks where they hunt genetically altered humans for sport. Sarban also published two collections of fantasy stories during his life: Ringstones and Other Curious Tales (1951) and The Doll Maker and Other Tales of the Uncanny (1953). During 2002, The Sacrifice and Other Stories was published, which collected four novellas—two of which, the title story and "The Sea-Things", were published for the first time. The other two were "Number Fourteen", which was published in a later edition of Ringstones, and "The King of the Lake", which was added to a later edition of The Sound of His Horn. Further previously unpublished work has been collected as Discovery of Heretics (2010), including poems, a one-act play, extracts from two novels and unpublished stories.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer and diplomat. Wall's diplomatic career lasted more than thirty years, but his writing career as Sarban was brief and not prolific, ending during the early 1950s. Sarban is described in The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy is a 1997 reference work on fantasy, edited by John Clute and John Grant. Other contributors include Mike Ashley, Neil Gaiman, Diana Wynne Jones, David Langford, Sam J. Lundwall, Michael Scott Rohan, Brian Stableford and Lisa Tuttle.The book was well-received upon...
as
"a subtle, literate teller of tales, conscious of the darker and less acceptable implications that underlie much popular literature".
Wall cited the supernatural fiction of Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror...
and Walter de la Mare
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare , OM CH was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, probably best remembered for his works for children and the poem "The Listeners"....
as influences on his work.
Early life
Wall was born in MexboroughMexborough
Mexborough is a town in the metropolitan borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, situated on the north bank of the River Don west of its confluence with the River Dearne...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, the son of George William Wall, a passenger guard on the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
, and Maria Ellen (née Moffatt) Wall. After Mexborough School, he studied English at Jesus College
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
, Cambridge and received first-class honors. He also studied Arabic and took the Consular Service Examination.
Wall married Eleanor Alexander Riesle on 20 January 1950 and they had one daughter. Wall and his wife were separated legally during 1971.
Diplomatic service
He chose a diplomatic career in the Near East because "[James Elroy] Flecker, whose poetry I had loved in my school days, had been in the Levant Consular Service", and owing to "a liking for travel and oriental philology". During 1933, Wall was posted initially as Probationer Vice-Consul at BeirutBeirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Subsequently, he was stationed at Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, Esfahan and Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. After WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was Counsellor at the British Middle East Office in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
until 1952. He was British Ambassador to Paraguay 1957-8 and Consul-General at Alexandria 1963-5. He was honoured in 1953 as a Companion of the Order of St Michael & St George for his diplomatic work.
Wall continued to work for the Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
, at first in a teaching position in London, 1966–1970, and then at the Government Communications Headquarters, a secret surveillance centre, in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
. Wall retired from the Foreign Office during 1977, and retired to Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
.
Literary work
His most famous story is the alternate-history novel The Sound of His HornThe Sound of His Horn
The Sound of His Horn is a 1952 dystopian time travel/alternate history novel by the senior British diplomat John William Wall, written with the pseudonym Sarban. It relates the story of a British naval lieutenant, Alan Querdillon who, after becoming a POW during the Battle of Crete awakens in a...
(1952), which presupposes that the Nazis have won World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and built amusement parks where they hunt genetically altered humans for sport. Sarban also published two collections of fantasy stories during his life: Ringstones and Other Curious Tales (1951) and The Doll Maker and Other Tales of the Uncanny (1953). During 2002, The Sacrifice and Other Stories was published, which collected four novellas—two of which, the title story and "The Sea-Things", were published for the first time. The other two were "Number Fourteen", which was published in a later edition of Ringstones, and "The King of the Lake", which was added to a later edition of The Sound of His Horn. Further previously unpublished work has been collected as Discovery of Heretics (2010), including poems, a one-act play, extracts from two novels and unpublished stories.
External links
- "Sarban" Fantastic Fiction
- "Sarban" The Doll-Maker, Ringstones and The Sound of His Horn Free ebooks at Munsey's