Martyn Goff obituary

Bookseller and prime mover behind the Booker prize, Britain’s top literary awardAlthough bookselling framed his professional life, Martyn Goff, who has died aged 91, will be most remembered for his 34 years running what became under his stewardship Britain’s premier literary award – the Booker, now the Man Booker, prize. Goff took over as administrator of the prize in 1973, its fifth year.As director of the National Book League (NBL), which had been near-moribund until his arrival in 1970, he caught people’s attention the following year by creating an innovative literary festival, the Bedford Square Book Bang, in London. Book events at the time were generally stuffy affairs, but despite appalling weather that helped turn the Bloomsbury square into a quagmire, the Book Bang attracted some 50,000 visitors. Little more than a year later, the Publishers Association, which had launched the Booker, passed the administering of the prize to the reinvigorated League. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #prime mover #professional life #book events #publishers association

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Martyn Goff obituary

Bookseller and prime mover behind the Booker prize, Britain’s top literary awardAlthough bookselling framed his professional life, Martyn Goff, who has died aged 91, will be most remembered for his 34 years running what became under his stewardship Britain’s premier literary award – the Booker,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prime mover #professional life #book events #publishers association


Martyn Goff 'always had a twinkle in his eye'

The late Martyn Goff's life was celebrated at London’s Athenaeum Club this week as family and friends gathered to remember a man who played a singular role in the 20th century book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Martyn Goff dies

Martyn Goff, who served as administrator of the Booker Prize Foundation for more than three decades and “helped shape the prize into the literary force it is today”, has died. Goff died yesterday (25th March) aged 91 after a long period of ill health, said the Booker Prize Foundation. He... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booker prize maestro Martyn Goff dies aged 91

Literary world mourns the driving force behind the UK’s most prestigious books award Martyn Goff, the ‘master of tactical indiscretion’ who shaped the Booker prize into one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards, has died at the age of 91.Goff, who died on Wednesday after a long... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Mike Thaler

Prolific author-illustrator Mike Thaler, best known for his many riddle books and his humorous Black Lagoon Adventures series, died on March 23; he was 87. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Nicholas Jacobs obituary

My father, Nick Jacobs, who has died aged 85, was a publisher who brought German writers closer to British readers at a time when there was little interest in doing so. Few have paid attention to the dissemination of German literature in the English-speaking world as much as he did.While in... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-03-27 12:24:19 UTC ]
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Obituary: Laurent de Brunhoff

French author-illustrator Laurent de Brunhoff, acclaimed for carrying on the legacy of beloved character Babar the elephant, first illustrated by his father Jean, died on March 22; he was 98. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Leonard Everett Fisher

Accomplished painter and children's book author-illustrator Leonard Everett Fisher, widely known for his atmospheric, realistic artwork in books focused on American and world history and world mythology, died on March 2 at age 99. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Phil Baines obituary

Graphic designer whose distinctive typographic work graced Penguin book covers, museum signage and London monumentsPhil Baines, who has died aged 65 of multiple system atrophy, was one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British graphic design. His work included books, posters, art... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-03-12 15:46:29 UTC ]
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Prolific children's book author Kate Banks, known for prose praised as lyrical, clever, and graceful, died February 24 in Switzerland, following a long illness; she was 64. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Award-winning author-illustrator Petra Mathers, known for her naive-flavored pencil and watercolor artwork, died on February 6; she was 78. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Obituary: Dinah Stevenson

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Children's author, educator, and free speech champion Robie Harris, best known for her stories about young children's powerful emotions and her frequently challenged and banned books on human sexuality, including 'It's Perfectly Normal,' died on January 6 at 83. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Caroline Gilfillan obituary

My friend Caroline Gilfillan, who has died aged 71, was a multitalented musician, novelist and poet with a vibrant and adventurous spirit.Her poems won awards, including a Yeovil literary prize in 2019. She published four collections, including Pepys in 2012 and Yes in 2010, which won best... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-31 17:19:12 UTC ]
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My father, Tim Harland, who has died unexpectedly aged 65, was co-founder with my mother, Maddy, of Permanent Publications, a publishing company that specialises in books on permaculture, which is an innovative approach to regenerative land management, sustainable lifestyles and communities.From... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-22 11:10:09 UTC ]
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Michael Leapman obituary

My father, Michael Leapman, who has died aged 85, was a Fleet Street journalist whose 60-year career spanned war reporting, editing the diary column of the Times and writing about his Brixton allotment. His 18 books include biographies of Rupert Murdoch (Barefaced Cheek, 1983) and Neil Kinnock... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-10-20 11:34:51 UTC ]
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Obituary: Janet Taylor Lisle

Acclaimed children's author Janet Taylor Lisle, lauded for her novels featuring complex characters in stories blending everyday life with elements of mystery and magic, died on October 5 in Boston. She was 76. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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