Astute publisher and British Museum chair behind fundraising for the Great CourtGraham Greene, who has died aged 80, was one of the leading publishers of his generation, as well as giving huge public service in an impressive range of activities, usually unpaid. As managing director of Jonathan Cape from 1966 to 1988, he built this small, cottage-industry publisher into a top name for developing outstanding authors and publishing quality books, both fiction and non-fiction. Benign and genial in manner, Graham had a keen eye for literary talent and a managerial ability to soothe artistic egos. He nurtured young authors so that they would remain long on the Cape lists, and greatly appreciated the commercial and marketing skills of his charismatic partner, Tom Maschler; together they were a formidable team.Eventually, Cape was sold to the giant Random House. Graham retired from the business as he recognised that he was personally and professionally unsuited to the ruthless new publishing world, driven by accountant directors seeking to maximise short-term profits from illiterate celebrity authors who often did not read, let alone write, their ghost-written memoirs. He recently said that “in all my publishing career, I never asked myself how many copies a book would sell. I simply asked: is it good?” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
James L. Mairs, an editor at W. W. Norton & Company since August 1963, died of heart failure on July 26. He was 77. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Smith, the former president and CEO of John Wiley and Sons, died on July 10 following a long illness. He was 61. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber & Faber’s editorial director for film, Walter Donoghue, recalls memories of the man who led Faber through a literary purple patch. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A publisher of both prestige and pessimism, Peter Owen’s skill was in resuscitating neglected writers, says poet Jeremy Reed. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I first met Peter Owen in the late 1980s, when he published some short stories that I had written about Saudi Arabia. I was invited to interesting parties at his house in Holland Park, west London, and at various embassies where he would launch the many translations of literary fiction he... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Editor who began her career with André Deutsch, shaping its children’s list with child-centred booksPam Royds, who has died aged 91, was a children’s book editor with an instinctive understanding of literary talent, a clear-sighted view of what children as readers really enjoy, a deep commitment... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Alan Rutsky, CFO of Rizzoli International Publications, died on June 28. He was 67. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookseller who transformed the perception of sports writing and set up the William Hill Sports Book awardJohn Gaustad, who has died aged 68, was a quietly spoken New Zealander who revolutionised the British sports books industry. In 1985 he opened Sportspages, a small shop in Caxton Walk, off... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Illustrator, printer, and publisher Michael McCurdy died on May 28 in Springfield, Mass. He was 74. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From our archives, our obituary of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. co-founder and longtime president Blanche Wolf Knopf, who died on June 4, 1966. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lois Duncan, author of more than 50 books for children and teens including 'Killing Mr. Griffin' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' died on June 15. She was 82. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hughes, a longtime Macmillan executive and, most recently, the publisher's v-p of distribution, sales and special markets, died on June 12. She was 60. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Award-winning children's author Rhoda Blumberg, who translated her passion for history into more than 25 nonfiction books, died at home on June 6. She was 98. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Joseph "Scott" Harvey, a veteran publishing executive who most recently served as v-p of custom product development at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, died on Friday. He was 52. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ann B. LaFarge, a former editor for Dutton, Ballantine, Zebra, and Kensington, died at home on May 27. She was 83. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publisher whose list of writers included 10 Nobel prizewinnersPeter Owen’s survival as a publisher across 60 years was against all commercial odds. In 1993 he described himself as “one of the few remaining independent publishers specialising in translation”, and at his death aged 89 his mission... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tony Read leaves a legacy of improving educational facilities in a number of developing countries, writes Amanda Buchan. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The former ABA president and founder of the Happy Bookseller in Columbia, S.C., died on May 26. He was 91. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Publishers Green Network (PGN) will relaunch with a special keynote to be delivered by the c.e.o. of the World Wide Fund for Nature. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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