Nobel prize winners and stocking fillers – 65 years in the murky waters of London publishing

Ernest Hecht set up Souvenir Press from his bedroom in 1951. Now, following the death of Lord Weidenfeld, he is the last of the group of remarkable Jewish émigrés who transformed postwar British publishingA 65th birthday is a milestone but – now the official retirement age has been abolished – not that big a deal. A medium to large company celebrating 65 years in business is just looking for cheap publicity. But a one-man band of a company that has lasted 65 years? It’s a business in which it’s now thought only sprawling megacorps can possibly survive.And yet, still swimming merrily in the murky waters of London publishing, there amid the whales, sharks and giant squid, is this totally improbable tiddler: Souvenir Press, founded in 1951 by 21-year-old Ernest Hecht in his bedroom in Bayswater, London; still run in 2016 by 86-year-old Ernest Hecht OBE from his charmingly dotty HQ opposite the British Museum, where it has been for the past 42 years. It is an extraordinary story, to put it mildly. Related: Jewish community mark 75th anniversary of Kindertransport Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #lord weidenfeld #ernest hecht #british museum #extraordinary story

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Nobel prize winners and stocking fillers – 65 years in the murky waters of London publishing'


PPA chief warns of looming 'penalty tax on magazine publishers'

The Royal Mail's request to increase the amount it can charge for bulk mail has been slammed as a "shortsighted" move that could cause long-term damage to the magazine business by Barry McIlheney, chief executive of the Professional Publishers Association (PPA). Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Montaigne title wins Duff Cooper Prize

Written By: Neill Denny Publication Date: Wed, 23/02/2011 - 09:35 Chatto's How to Live: A Life of Montaigne has won The Duff Cooper Prize, beating Costa-category winner The Hare with Amber Eyes and Keith Richards' huge-selling autobiography. Winning author Sarah Bakewell was presented with the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Westfield London to hold Gruffalo event for Red Nose Day

Written By: Laura Richards Publication Date: Tue, 22/02/2011 - 14:00 Macmillan Children’s Books is to hold a Gruffalo fundraising event tomorrow for Red Nose Day. As a supporting partner of this year’s Comic Relief, the popular children’s book character will be hosting the fundraiser in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPA concerned about publisher "blacklist" in Iran

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 22/02/2011 - 09:08 The International Publishers Association is urgently trying to locate an Iranian publisher on women's issues after she was named in an alleged blacklist of Iranian publishers. The blacklist, reportedly circulated by a chapter... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael O'Mara to publish book on sitcom pioneers

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 21/02/2011 - 08:47 Michael O'Mara has acquired an anthology about the writers of "Hancock's Half Hour" and "Steptoe and Son", dubbed "the fathers of the British sitcom". Commissioning editor Kate Moore bought world rights with Elly James of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virago to publish newly discovered Daphne du Maurier stories

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 18/02/2011 - 08:18 Virago is publishing a new collection of 13 early short stories by Daphne du Maurier, including five discovered by a Cornish bookseller and du Maurier enthusiast. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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CUP publishing staff reject 2% pay increase

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 18/02/2011 - 08:15 Publishing staff at Cambridge University Press (CUP) have voted to reject a pay increase of 2%. The proposed pay increase, which CUP has described as reasonable and in line with other pay settlements, has led the Unite union to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Diagram Prize shortlist announced

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Fri, 18/02/2011 - 00:01 A Mills & Boon bonkbuster, an examination of the ongoing debate surrounding organ procurement, and a guide to managing a dental practice in a Mongol warlord kind of way, are among the titles vying for the Diagram Prize... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lure of IPad Subscriptions May Outweigh Pain for Publishers

There may not be a ton of enthusiasm in the publishing world for Apple's new policy for subscription services--particularly when it comes to giving Cupertino a... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atwood takes stage at TOC and tells publishers to keep feeding their authors

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 16/02/2011 - 07:06 Author Margaret Atwood used her Tools of Change keynote speech to warn the industry not to eliminate authors, and make sure they are paid enough to "pay for the cheese sandwiches". read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Myrmidon acquires Commonwealth Writers Prize shortlistee

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 16/02/2011 - 06:35 Independent publisher Myrmidon has bought world English language rights (excluding South Africa) to a novel shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize. Ed Handyside, publisher and founder, bought the rights to Trespass... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple App Store subscription plan gouges publishers, eats their young

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Somebody call the cops -- eh, antitrust authorities. Apple's subscription plan is here, and it's as bad for many, if not most, publishers as rumored. The first of several key sentences from Apple's press announcement: "Publishers may no longer provide links in their apps... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macintyre to chair BBC Samuel Johnson Prize

Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 09:47 Operation Mincemeat author Ben Macintyre is to chair the judging panel for this year's BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction. The panel also comprises historian, writer and broadcaster Amanda Vickery, Prospect's editor-at-large David Goodhart,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publisher demands delaying Borders liquidation

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 08:53 Publishers' demands for control of pricing in Borders' closing sales are delaying its impending bankruptcy ruling. Reuters reports the retailer is in discussions with liquidators over a plan to close around 20 of its 650... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast to open London newsagent

Luxury magazine publisher Condé Nast is launching a London newsagent, which will sell more than 110 of its magazines from around the world. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Maritime Museum looks to move into publishing

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 16:00 The National Maritime Museum is looking to publish its "unrivalled" archive of images. The London-based museum has appointed the Creative Rights Agency to pursue publishing opportunities and also seek product licensees for the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EU Publishers Blast Apple's IPad Subscription Plan

European publishers have added their voice to the chorus of criticism of Apple’s plans for iPad newspaper subscriptions. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut author wins Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

Publication Date: Wed, 09/02/2011 - 20:05 Debut author Sita Brahmachari has won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize for her coming-of-age novel about life, death, friendship and love. She was awarded the £5,000 prize this evening [9th February] for Artichoke Hearts, published by Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booker Foundation launches Beryl Bainbridge prize

Publication Date: Tue, 08/02/2011 - 08:55 The Man Booker Foundation is to award a special prize to the late author Beryl Bainbridge, who was shortlisted five times for the accolade but never won. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2010 Eddie and Ozzie Award Winners

The Eddie and Ozzie awards recognize excellence in magazine and digital editorial and design. The awards draw by far the widest variety of publication types—from b-to-b to consumer to association and custom—and our industry is particularly proud of its creative output. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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