Paperbacks defied a tradition

Press, 15 April 1986, Page 18

Paperbacks defied a tradition

Paperback books are something we take for granted. But before the 1930 s the only kind of paperbacks available were “penny dreadfuls.”

The man who revolutionised twentieth century publishing and is thought to have been perhaps the only man to have become a millionaire from book publishing was an Englishman, Allen Lane. Lane started working

for his uncle’s publishing firm, the Bodley Head, in London, at the age of 17. By the age of 22 he was a director in the firm. But he and the firm parted company — Lane’s idea of publishing paperbacks was too adventurous for the Bodley Head. He was told to go and work on something else. In the disused crypt of a church in London’s Portland Street and with

only £lOO in capital behind him, Lane set up Penguin books. His were the first well-printed and well-produced paperbacks. They sold for sixpence.

His venture was successful almost immediately. In 1939 ten million Penguin paperbacks were sold. ?

Allen Lane was knighted in 1952 for his work in publishing.