The Bodley Head
Encyclopedia
The Bodley Head is an English publishing
house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name has been used as an imprint
of Random House
Children's Books since 1987. From April 2008 it will be revived as an adult non-fiction imprint within Random House's CCV division.
(1854–1925) and Elkin Mathews, to trade in antiquarian
books in London. It took its name from a bust of Sir Thomas Bodley, the eponymist of the Bodleian Library
in Oxford, above the shop door. Lane and Matthews began in 1894 to publish works of ‘stylish decadence’, including the notorious literary periodical The Yellow Book. Also notable amongst Bodley Head's pre-Great War books were the two volume sets: Foundations of the Nineteenth Century (1910 and later editions, selling over fifty thousand copies), and Immanuel Kant, both by Houston Stewart Chamberlain
.
The Bodley Head became a private company in 1921. In 1926 it published the Book of Bodley Head Verse
, an anthology
edited by J. B. Priestley
. The firm published some mainstream popular authors such as Arnold Bennett
and Agatha Christie
but ran into financial difficulties. It continued after 1936 backed by a consortium of Allen & Unwin
, Jonathan Cape
, and J. M. Dent
. Allen Lane
, John Lane's nephew who had inherited control, finally left to found Penguin Books
.
In the 1930s, "The Bodley Head" was used as a series title by Penguin Books
. For Example A Short History of the World
by H.G. Wells appeared in the series in 1936.
Bought in 1957 by Ansbacher & Co. headed by Max Reinhardt
. During this period Bodley Head published the work of authors such as George Bernard Shaw
, Graham Greene
, Charles Chaplin, William Trevor
, Maurice Sendak
, Muriel Spark
, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Sam Haskins
and Alistair Cooke
. Max Reinhardt
was also responsible for the expansion of one of the outstanding children's books lists in modern publishing. The imprint was still important in the 1970s when it was drawn into the Jonathan Cape
/Chatto and Windus
group. The firm was sold to Random House in 1987, who have published children's books under The Bodley Head name since.
The archives of The Bodley Head Ltd are kept at Reading University.http://www.reading.ac.uk/library/special-collections/collections/lib-special-bodley-head.asp
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name has been used as an imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
Children's Books since 1987. From April 2008 it will be revived as an adult non-fiction imprint within Random House's CCV division.
History
Originally John Lane and Elkin Mathews — The Bodley Head was a partnership set up in 1887 by John LaneJohn Lane (publisher)
-Biography:Originally from Devon, where he was born into a farming family, Lane moved to London already in his teens. While working as a clerk at the Railway Clearing House, he acquired knowledge as an autodidact....
(1854–1925) and Elkin Mathews, to trade in antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
books in London. It took its name from a bust of Sir Thomas Bodley, the eponymist of the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
in Oxford, above the shop door. Lane and Matthews began in 1894 to publish works of ‘stylish decadence’, including the notorious literary periodical The Yellow Book. Also notable amongst Bodley Head's pre-Great War books were the two volume sets: Foundations of the Nineteenth Century (1910 and later editions, selling over fifty thousand copies), and Immanuel Kant, both by Houston Stewart Chamberlain
Houston Stewart Chamberlain
Houston Stewart Chamberlain was a British-born German author of books on political philosophy, natural science and the German composer Richard Wagner. He later became a German citizen. Chamberlain married Wagner's daughter, Eva, some years after Wagner's death...
.
The Bodley Head became a private company in 1921. In 1926 it published the Book of Bodley Head Verse
Book of Bodley Head Verse
The Book of Bodley Head Verse was edited by J. B. Priestley and published by The Bodley Head in 1926.Poets included were:Lascelles Abercrombie — A. E. — T. B. Aldrich — Kenneth Ashley — Maurice Baring — Aubrey Beardsley — Henry C...
, an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
edited by J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM , known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions , as well as numerous dramas such as An Inspector Calls...
. The firm published some mainstream popular authors such as Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
- Early life :Bennett was born in a modest house in Hanley in the Potteries district of Staffordshire. Hanley is one of a conurbation of six towns which joined together at the beginning of the twentieth century as Stoke-on-Trent. Enoch Bennett, his father, qualified as a solicitor in 1876, and the...
and Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
but ran into financial difficulties. It continued after 1936 backed by a consortium of Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin, formerly a major British publishing house, is now an independent book publisher and distributor based in Australia. The Australian directors have been the sole owners of the Allen & Unwin name since effecting a management buy out at the time the UK parent company, Unwin Hyman, was...
, Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
, and J. M. Dent
J. M. Dent
Joseph Malaby Dent was a British book publisher who produced the Everyman's Library series.Dent was born in Darlington in what is now the Britaania public house. After a short and unsuccessful stint as an apprentice printer he took up bookbinding...
. Allen Lane
Allen Lane
Sir Allen Lane was a British publisher who founded Penguin Books, bringing high quality paperback fiction and non-fiction to the mass market.-Early life and family:...
, John Lane's nephew who had inherited control, finally left to found Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
.
In the 1930s, "The Bodley Head" was used as a series title by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
. For Example A Short History of the World
A Short History of the World (H. G. Wells)
A Short History of the World is a period-piece non-fictional historic work by H.G. Wells first published by Cassell & Co, Ltd Publishing in 1922. It was republished under Penguin Classics in 2006...
by H.G. Wells appeared in the series in 1936.
Bought in 1957 by Ansbacher & Co. headed by Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
. During this period Bodley Head published the work of authors such as George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
, Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
, Charles Chaplin, William Trevor
William Trevor
William Trevor, KBE is an Irish author and playwright. He is considered one of the elder statesman of the Irish literary world and widely regarded as the greatest contemporary writer of short stories in the English language....
, Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.-Early life:...
, Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark
Dame Muriel Spark, DBE was an award-winning Scottish novelist. In 2008 The Times newspaper named Spark in its list of "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Early life:...
, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Sam Haskins
Sam Haskins
Sam Haskins, born Samuel Joseph Haskins , was a South African photographer best known for his contribution to nude photography, pre-Photoshop in-camera image montage, and his books, the most influential of which were Cowboy Kate and Haskins Posters...
and Alistair Cooke
Alistair Cooke
Alfred Alistair Cooke KBE was a British/American journalist, television personality and broadcaster. Outside his journalistic output, which included Letter from America and Alistair Cooke's America, he was well known in the United States as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theater from 1971 to 1992...
. Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
was also responsible for the expansion of one of the outstanding children's books lists in modern publishing. The imprint was still important in the 1970s when it was drawn into the Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
/Chatto and Windus
Chatto and Windus
Chatto & Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, publishers. It was originally an important publisher of books in London, founded in the Victorian era....
group. The firm was sold to Random House in 1987, who have published children's books under The Bodley Head name since.
The archives of The Bodley Head Ltd are kept at Reading University.http://www.reading.ac.uk/library/special-collections/collections/lib-special-bodley-head.asp