Iwan Morelius

The place to post anything DW-related
Charles
Level5
Level5
Posts: 519
Joined: Sat 4 Jun, 2005 19:25:59
Location: U.K.

Iwan Morelius

Post by Charles »

Dear all,

I received the following email from a friend of Iwan's today :

*********

Iwan Morelius has passed away.

Iwan died suddenly on 21/6 2012. He is mourned and missed by family and friends. The family wants to inform all of his contacts he have had over email and the Internet about what has happened. We also want to thank everyone who has supported us during this difficult time.

Please find enclosed some links to Obituaries over memories of his work. (In Swedish)

http://www.dast.nu/artikel/iwan-hedman- ... n-memoriam
http://www.svenskamagasinet.nu/shortnews.6950.html

********

I have replied as follows

Dear Martin,

Many thanks for letting me know.

I don't have Margareta's address so I would be grateful if you would say to her how very sorry I am to hear the news.

Iwan and I formed an instant, strong bond when we met at the first Dennis Wheatley convention, a bond which has continued ever since.

I will be posting the sad news on the Dennis Wheatley website shortly, and I know all his friends in the Dennis Wheatley community in England will be equally saddened by the news.

At the same time I know they will be giving thanks for and celebrating his wonderful life and friendship.

Kindest regards

Charles (Beck)

webmaster www.denniswheatley.info

**********

If anyone would like the email address of the person who gave me the news so they can send a personal message, I will be happy to provide it.

Sorry to bring you sad news,
Charles
Stevie P
Level5
Level5
Posts: 194
Joined: Wed 14 Sep, 2005 08:31:56
Location: Rugby

Post by Stevie P »

This is a real shame. I only met him on a few occasions but he will be sadly missed. Apart from being a really nice man he was a direct link with DW.

It was November 2009 at the Edgwarebury Hotel that I remember asking him to sign 'The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware' which was dedicated to him by DW. He was keen to oblige and I shall alway's think of him whenever I pick up the book.

My sympathies to his family.

Stevie P
Jim
Level5
Level5
Posts: 362
Joined: Wed 22 Jun, 2005 03:25:05
Location: NYC

Post by Jim »

I am sorry to hear this. I was lucky enough to get a hardcover copy of the Four Decades book (at that time the only serious study of DW's writings) years ago, but didn't know much more about Iwan until I discovered this site. Then, after the convention Charles mentions, I was able to make contact with him. He was kind enough to send several copies of letters and photographs for my book, and a signed greeting. (He said I was the first American DW fan he'd done this for, as far as he could recall.)

He was also a fan and friend of Swedish-born thriller writer Donald Hamilton (who created Matt Helm), among many others. Iwan even appears--or his name does--in books by Raymond Benson, Desmond Bagley, and Walter Wager. He was a lifelong advocate of the best in genre fiction, and Wheatley dedicated The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware to him for his promotion of his novels in Sweden.

My condolences to his family and friends.
Steve Whatley
Level5
Level5
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat 19 Aug, 2006 13:43:36

Post by Steve Whatley »

I'm very sad today. Not having checked my e-mails, I was at my tennis club when I heard the news via a text message from Charles. This was not inappropriate, as I know Iwan was a keen tennis player, playing well into his seventies, until that first heart attack curtailed his sporting activities a few years ago. He was also a very good badminton player, having twice won his Regimental championship.

It was Bob Rothwell who put me in touch with Iwan many years ago, and we corresponded and spoke on the 'phone for some years before we finally met. It was 2004 when Jean and I drove to his house near Alicante to meet Iwan and Margareta for the first time. After that, I can recall many a dreary day at the office (before I had a computer at home) being suddenly brightened by an unexpected e-mail from Iwan, with an image of some gem of DW memorabilia or other.

As Jim has indicated, Iwan's literary interests were not confined to DW; amongst the authors of thrillers and detective stories, I think Iwan had met most of the household names from the last fifty years. I can recommend his 1997 book, co-written with Margareta, 'Meeting With Authors And Other People In The Book World'; it is almost an autobiography, and demonstrates that Iwan really did spend a lifetime meeting famous authors.

My only other meetings with Iwan were at the first two DW Conventions, in 2008 and 2009. Whether it was on one of those rare occasions in person or one of the numerous occasions by e-mail, Iwan was always a good and cheerful friend. When we dropped him off at Luton Airport after the 2009 Convention, I little dreamt that it would be the last time I saw Iwan.

Iwan was also a keen jazz fan, so in memory of an album which is our mutual favourite - 'Blue Saxophones' - I've coloured my text blue. I'll certainly be blue for a long time.

My thoughts are with Margareta and the family.

I'll raise a glass to you tonight, Iwan!
ken68
Level5
Level5
Posts: 164
Joined: Sun 29 Oct, 2006 17:03:42
Location: GLASGOW

Post by ken68 »

Poor Iwan. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. A kind man willing to find time for people he hardly knew.
Tonight I shall raise a glass of glenlivet, which if memory serves right was iwans tipple and ponder Iwan and DW reunited on the astral.

Ken
Nick
Level5
Level5
Posts: 142
Joined: Fri 8 Jul, 2005 22:52:23
Location: blackpool
Contact:

Post by Nick »

I took an instant liking to Iwan. We had a few (far too short) conversations at the conference, and spent some time talking of our experiences in scandanavia, and the people and culture. He was a gentle, cultured and intelligent man and we will miss him.
Jim
Level5
Level5
Posts: 362
Joined: Wed 22 Jun, 2005 03:25:05
Location: NYC

Post by Jim »

Was Iwan the only member of our "circle" who had actually met Dennis Wheatley? (DW died 35 years ago...)
duncanpaul17
Level4
Level4
Posts: 64
Joined: Sat 11 Nov, 2006 09:41:16
Location: Derbyshire

Post by duncanpaul17 »

I was also sad to hear the news about Iwan.

I will always remember his knowledge of DW and the chat I had with him over dinner
at the first convention about books in the crime genre. Another favourite of mine.

I also read books by Colin Forbes and Iwan told me that he was given a note of appreciation by Forbes
in his book 'The Stockholm Syndicate'.

He was a great man and I'm sorry I won't have the chance to meet him again. (well not in this life)

My sympathies to all his family and friends

Duncan
Steve Whatley
Level5
Level5
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat 19 Aug, 2006 13:43:36

Post by Steve Whatley »

John Runter, who has attended the last three Conventions, has also met Dennis Wheatley.

I know John will be very upset at Iwan's passing, as they were very much contemporaries, and he really took to Iwan when they met at the 2009 Convention.

John is a retired journalist, and - like Iwan - had met DW on two separate occasions.[font=Courier New] [/font]
Charles
Level5
Level5
Posts: 519
Joined: Sat 4 Jun, 2005 19:25:59
Location: U.K.

Post by Charles »

Dear All,

I've sent Martin Hedlund a link to this page, so hopefully Iwan's family and friends in Sweden will get to read it, and will be able to see how in a few short meetings, and with lots of emails, he formed such a bond with all of us.

I will add his name to the 'roll of honour' that gets mentioned in the toast at our next convention - at which I hope he will be present in spirit.

Very best wishes to all as always,
Charles
Steve Whatley
Level5
Level5
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat 19 Aug, 2006 13:43:36

Post by Steve Whatley »

Returning from a long holiday, I have just found an e-mail from Martin Hedlund, who is the son of Iwan's widow Margareta.

I suspect others may have seen this already, but for those who haven't, it says that Iwan's funeral will be at St. Petri Chapel in Strangnas, Sweden on Wednesday 8th August at 1pm.

I'd dearly like to be able to attend, but, not being a 'jet-setter', I fear it is impossible.

However, given that Sweden is one hour 'ahead' of us here in the UK, I'll be thinking of Iwan and Margareta around noon on Wednesday week.[font=Courier New] [/font]
Steve Whatley
Level5
Level5
Posts: 218
Joined: Sat 19 Aug, 2006 13:43:36

Post by Steve Whatley »

As his funeral in Sweden is about to begin, a final 'Farewell' to Iwan Morelius; a good friend, and a man whose many books and articles - like those of the famous novelists about whom he wrote - gave many hours of pleasure to his readers.[font=Courier New] [/font]
Charles
Level5
Level5
Posts: 519
Joined: Sat 4 Jun, 2005 19:25:59
Location: U.K.

Post by Charles »

Absolutely seconded.

Iwan's trips to conventions, emails and phone calls were rare treats.

Let us hope we will all meet again.
Charles
Jim
Level5
Level5
Posts: 362
Joined: Wed 22 Jun, 2005 03:25:05
Location: NYC

Post by Jim »

I commemorated Iwan today by adding another of his books to my collection. As I am also a fan of The Saint stories, I got a copy of the DAST dossier on "Five Decades of Leslie Charteris." (There's an ad in the back for his DW volume as well...) To make it even nicer, it's a signed copy!
Charles
Level5
Level5
Posts: 519
Joined: Sat 4 Jun, 2005 19:25:59
Location: U.K.

Post by Charles »

That sounds really nice ... I wasn't aware (but probably should have been) that Iwan had produced a similar volume on one of his other favourite authors.

I trust all's well over your side of the pond ...
Charles
Locked

Return to “General Topics”