"If you followed my story of how Val came to be an artist and author you will know that, in 1953, with the collapse of the company John Lehmann Ltd., he had a difficult decision to make. Either to take a regular job, with security, or to 'take the plunge' and become a freelance artist.

Fortunately, for the reading public he chose the latter and, from then on, he illustrated over 400 books for other authors, designed over 3.000 book covers and still found time to write and illustrate books of his own.

I always think that artists like Val never get adequate praise for their work on a book. After all their artwork is eyecatching and encourages readers to pick up the book in the bookshop.

Here are a few examples of the covers he has designed for some famous authors."

 

 

 

"Here ARE some links that show other book covers that Val has designed for famous authors.

 

Nigel Tranter
30 Val Biro bookcovers are illustrated.

Nevil Shute
'Requiem for a Wren', 'Round the Bend' , 'The Far Country' and 'Beyond the Black Stump'

John Jackson
A Bucketful of Nuts and a Herring Net

Jean Plaidy
Illustrations for 'Edward Longshanks'

Helen Steiner Rice
Artwork for 'Lovingly' 1971.

Paul Tabori
'Private Gallery' 1945. One of the first commissions Val received, aged 24.

Anthony Hope
'The Prisoner of Zenda'. Folio Society edition 1961

Frances Parkinson Keyes
'The Letter from Spain'

E W Hildick
' A Cat Called Amnesia' and other books.

Dorian Williams
'Kingdom for a Horse'.

 

A LIST OF FURTHER AUTHORS FOR WHOM VAL DESIGNED DUSTWRAPPERS

 

1. Richard Mason, 1949,'The Shadow and the Peak'
2. Romain Gary, 1950, 'The Company of Men'
3. William Goyen, 1951, 'The House of Breath'
4. Tennessee Williams, 1952, 'Summer and Smoke'
5. C. S. Forester, 1952, 'Lieutenant Hornblower'
6. Theodora Keogh, 1953, 'The Tattooed Heart'
7. Alan Paton, 1953, 'Too Late the Phalarope'
8. C. S. Forrester, 1953, 'Hornblower and the Atropos'
9. L. P. Hartley, 1953 'The Go-Between'
10. Richard Pape, 1953, 'Boldness Be my Friend'
11. David Beaty, 1954, 'The Heart of the Storm'
12. J.B. Priestley, 1954, 'The Magicians'
13. Joyce Cary, 1955, 'Not Honour More'
14. Holly Roth, 1955, 'The Sleeper'
15. Pamela Hill, 1955, 'Shadow of Palaces'
16. Peter Vansittert, 1956, 'The Game and the Ground'
17. Josephine Kamm, 1956, 'Daughter of the Desert'
18. Robert Penn Warren, 1956, 'Band of Angels'/LI>
19. Alec Waugh, 1956, 'Island in the Sun'
20. David Harrison, 1956, 'Along Hadrian's Wall'
21. James Ambrose Brown, 1956, 'Splendid Sunday'
22. Mabel Waln Smith, 1957, 'Springtime in Shanghai'
23. Evelyn Waugh, 1957, 'The Ordeal of Gilbert Penfold'
24. Holly Roth, 1957, 'The Crimson in the Purple'
25. Seymour Shubin, 1958, 'Manta'
26. Joy Packer, 1959, 'The High Roof'
27. John, Duke of Bedford, 1959, 'A Silver-Plated Spoon'
28. James Barlow, 1960, 'The Patriots'
29. Michael Lewis, 1960, 'Barbary Coast'
30. Werner Baumbach, 1960, 'Broken Swastika'
31. Geoff Taylor, 1961, 'The Crop Dusters'
32. Charity Blackstock, 1961, 'The Exorcism'
33. Iris Murdoch, 1961, 'The Severed Head'
34. Evelyn Waugh, 1961, 'Unconditional Surrender'
35. Victor Canning, 1961, 'A Delivery of Furies'
36. Victor Canning, 1961, 'A Delivery of Furies'
37. Ronald Kirkbride, 1962, 'The King of the Via Venito'
38. Charity Blackstock, 1962, 'The Gallant'
39. Dorothy Dunnett, 1962, 'The Game of Kings'
40. Brigid Knight, 1962, 'The House of the Bird of Paradise'
41. J.M.Eca De Queiroz, 1962, 'The City and the Mountains'
42. Maurice Shadbolt, 1963, 'Summer Fires and Winter Country
43. Charity Blackstock, 1963, 'Mr Christopoulos'
44. Joy Packer, 1964, 'The Man in the Mews'
45. N. Brysson Morrison, 1964, 'The Private Life of Henry VIII'
46. Jean Larteguy, 1965, 'Yellow Fever'
47. Everild Young and Kjneld Helweg Larsen, 1965, 'The Pirates' Priest'
48. Rupert Croft-Cooke, 1966, 'The Wild Hills'
49. David Emerson, 1967, 'Young Sweetly'
50. Rosalind Wade, 1968, 'Ladders'
51. Christianna Brand, 1969, 'Court of Foxes'
52. Pauline Neville, 1969, 'My Father's House'
53. Terence De Vere White, 1970, 'The March Hare'
54. J.H.B. Peel, 1971, 'Country Talk',
55. Jane Aitken Hodge, 1971, 'Savannah Purchase'
56. Dennis Wheatley, 1971, 'The Ravishing of Mary Ware'
57. Anthony Buckeridge, 1971, 'Typically Jennings'
58. R. F. Tapsell, 1972, 'Shadow of Wings'
59. Ethill Mannin, 1974, 'Kildoon'
60. Mary Ann Gibbs, 1974, 'The Wife of the Admiral'
61. Alfred H. Dunhill, 1974, 'The Gentle Art of Smoking'
62. Norah Lofts, 1975, 'The Homecoming'
63. Norah Lofts,1976, 'The Lonely Furrow'
64. Garfield Leon, 1976, 'The Book Lovers'
65. Leon Garfield, 1976, 'Book Lovers'
66. Raymond Foxall,1978, 'The Amorous Rogue'
67. Kay Stephens, 1978, 'Journey No More'
68. Laurence Meynell, 1979, 'The Sisters'

 

"Click on Gumdrop to return to Val's 'Homepage Links'"