Anthony Blond
Encyclopedia
Anthony Bernard Blond was a British publisher and author
.
Blond was the elder son of Major Neville Blond CMG, OBE, who was a cousin of Harold Laski
. His mother was from a Manchester Sephardic
Jewish family; they divorced when Blond was a child. Born in Sale
, Cheshire
, Blond was educated at Eton
, where he was bullied. He briefly served National Service
in the Army
, but growing pacifism
soon led to him registering as a conscientious objector
. Having gained a History exhibition (scholarship) to New College, Oxford
, he lost it by indulging too much in the distractions of an undergraduate life.
After Oxford, he briefly worked for a literary agent, but set up his own firm in 1952, Anthony Blond (London) Ltd, in partnership with the future novelist Isabel Colegate
.
Reported to have given the first chance to some 70 writers, he was particularly close to the novelist Simon Raven
. Blond set up various publishing firms over the years, including Blond Educational in 1962, which he sold in 1969 to CBS
, and he went into partnership with Desmond Briggs as Blond & Briggs in 1960, an informal arrangement which lasted for nearly 20 years, until Briggs retired and Harlech Television
bought the company in 1979, retaining Blond as an advisor. In a management buyout
Blond regained control after two years, and established his last partnership, Blond, Muller and White. Century Hutchinson absorbed this firm in 1987.
An early director and publisher of Private Eye
, his friendship with James Goldsmith
(and other members of the Clermont Club
circle) survived Goldsmith's numerous writs to the magazine in the mid-1970s.
In 1955 Blond married Charlotte, the daughter of John Strachey; the marriage lasted until 1960, and Charlotte eventually married the political journalist Peter Jenkins
. After a long relationship with Andrew McCall, Blond, who was bisexual, married Laura Hesketh in 1981. Blond also had a son, Aaron by the author Cressida Lindsay.
His autobiography
, Jew Made in England, was published in 2004.
Anthony Blond died in hospital in Limoges
, France, near the home he had shared with his wife for twenty-five years.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Blond was the elder son of Major Neville Blond CMG, OBE, who was a cousin of Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
. His mother was from a Manchester Sephardic
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
Jewish family; they divorced when Blond was a child. Born in Sale
Sale, Greater Manchester
Sale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, Blond was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, where he was bullied. He briefly served National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in the Army
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, but growing pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
soon led to him registering as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
. Having gained a History exhibition (scholarship) to New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, he lost it by indulging too much in the distractions of an undergraduate life.
After Oxford, he briefly worked for a literary agent, but set up his own firm in 1952, Anthony Blond (London) Ltd, in partnership with the future novelist Isabel Colegate
Isabel Colegate
Isabel Diana Colegate is a British author and literary agent.She was born in Lincolnshire, the daughter of Sir Arthur and Winifred Mary Colegate, and was educated at Runton Hill School...
.
Reported to have given the first chance to some 70 writers, he was particularly close to the novelist Simon Raven
Simon Raven
Simon Arthur Noël Raven was an English novelist, essayist, dramatist and raconteur who, in a writing career of forty years, caused controversy, amusement and offence...
. Blond set up various publishing firms over the years, including Blond Educational in 1962, which he sold in 1969 to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and he went into partnership with Desmond Briggs as Blond & Briggs in 1960, an informal arrangement which lasted for nearly 20 years, until Briggs retired and Harlech Television
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
bought the company in 1979, retaining Blond as an advisor. In a management buyout
Management buyout
A management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
Blond regained control after two years, and established his last partnership, Blond, Muller and White. Century Hutchinson absorbed this firm in 1987.
An early director and publisher of Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, his friendship with James Goldsmith
James Goldsmith
Sir James Michael "Jimmy" Goldsmith was an Anglo-French billionaire financier and tycoon. Towards the end of his life, he became a magazine publisher and a politician. In 1994, he was elected to represent France as a Member of the European Parliament and he subsequently founded the short-lived...
(and other members of the Clermont Club
Clermont Set
The Clermont Set was an exclusive group of rich British gamblers who met at the Clermont Club at 44 Berkeley Square, in London's fashionable Mayfair district now located at 27-28 Curzon Street and called Aspinall's. It was the first London casino opened by John Aspinall after he won the gaming...
circle) survived Goldsmith's numerous writs to the magazine in the mid-1970s.
In 1955 Blond married Charlotte, the daughter of John Strachey; the marriage lasted until 1960, and Charlotte eventually married the political journalist Peter Jenkins
Peter Jenkins
Peter Jenkins may refer to:*Peter Jenkins , British diplomat*Peter Jenkins , British journalist*Peter Jenkins , Canadian politician...
. After a long relationship with Andrew McCall, Blond, who was bisexual, married Laura Hesketh in 1981. Blond also had a son, Aaron by the author Cressida Lindsay.
His autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Jew Made in England, was published in 2004.
Anthony Blond died in hospital in Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
, France, near the home he had shared with his wife for twenty-five years.