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Bibliography
Cover Gallery 1
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Cover Gallery 6
Cover Gallery 7
German covers by Regino Bernad
Le Saint Detective Magazine 1
Le Saint Detective Magazine 2
Le Saint Detective Magazine 3
Le Saint Detective Magazine 4
About Nero Wolfe & The Toff
About artist
Regino Bernad
The Saint on French Radio
French-English
Text Comparisons
De Saint (The Dutch Saint)
© 2008 Rinus Daane.
Translations into Dutch
Most (if not all) Saint books published by A.W. Bruna & Zoon before 1964 were translated by a Dutch mystery
writer called "Havank" (he died in 1964). Havank wrote detective novels. The first one appeared in 1935,
under the Dutch title "Het mysterie van St. Eustace". Most of his novels were located in France. His main hero, in the early years, was
Commissioner Bruno Sylvère of the Surete Generale in Paris. Sylvere's assistant was inspector Charles C.M.
Carlier, who later became the main character in his books under the Dutch alias "De Schaduw". So it is
no real surprise that Havank preferred the French versions of the Charteris novels, if given a choice. Moreover,
Havank and Leslie Charteris knew each other personally. The photograph shown below shows both authors along Havank's
car, for which he actually managed to get English license plates, with his initials! The picture was taken in 1962
in Utrecht, where both authors had been invited (along with several other Bruna authors) by the publisher, A,W,
Bruna & Zoon, to celebrate the publishing of Zwarte Beertje No. 500.
The Dutch Saint covers
Most covers (except for a few, published after 1981) were designed by Dick Bruna, the son ("zoon" in
Dutch) of the publisher, A.W. Bruna. Dick was eventually supposed to succeed his father as publisher. However,
he was an artist, and not a manager. So when his father died in the early 1970s, first his brother took control
of the family business, but he did not want the job either. So they struggled along for a couple of years, while
Dick concentrated on his only passion: writing and illustrating children books. He is known throughout the world
under different pseudonyms: "Nijntje" in Holland, "Moufty" in French, etc. Of course, those
early books were also published by his own company. In 1981, the Bruna family sold the business to a larger publisher
(Elsevier). Dick now could do what he wanted to do full time: children's books -- and he still does! But since
that time, not a single cover, nor a single book, was ever published again by the company which still carries his
father's name! However, the Brunasl (or rather their holding company) still own the rights to the trademark "Zwarte
Beertjes" and all related logos!