William Heinemann
Encyclopedia
William Heinemann was the founder of the Heinemann
publishing house
in London
.
He was born in 1863, in Surbiton
, Surrey
. In his early life he wanted to be a musician, either as a performer or a composer, but, realising that he lacked the ability to be successful in that field, he took a job with the music publishing company of Nicolas Trübner. It was an intensive apprenticeship, and when Trübner died, Heinemann founded his own publishing house in Covent Garden
in 1890. The company introduced many translations of the classics to Great Britain
, as well as such distinguished authors as H. G. Wells
, Robert Louis Stevenson
, and Rudyard Kipling
.
He died, unexpectedly, in London
in 1920. He had no children and his presumptive heir, his nephew John Heinemann, had died in the Great War. Heinemann's share of the company was therefore bought out by F.N. Doubleday
, the New York publisher.
He bequeathed funds to the Royal Society of Literature
to establish a literary prize, the W. H. Heinemann Award, given from 1945 to 2003.
The company logo is based on a woodcut by Sir William Nicholson of the windmill at Rottingdean
, Sussex.
Heinemann (book publisher)
Heinemann is a UK publishing house founded by William Heinemann in Covent Garden, London in 1890. On William Heinemann's death in 1920 a majority stake was purchased by U.S. publisher Doubleday. It was later acquired by commemorate Thomas Tilling in 1961...
publishing house
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
He was born in 1863, in Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. In his early life he wanted to be a musician, either as a performer or a composer, but, realising that he lacked the ability to be successful in that field, he took a job with the music publishing company of Nicolas Trübner. It was an intensive apprenticeship, and when Trübner died, Heinemann founded his own publishing house in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
in 1890. The company introduced many translations of the classics to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, as well as such distinguished authors as H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, and Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
.
He died, unexpectedly, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1920. He had no children and his presumptive heir, his nephew John Heinemann, had died in the Great War. Heinemann's share of the company was therefore bought out by F.N. Doubleday
Frank Nelson Doubleday
Frank Nelson Doubleday , known to friends and family as “Effendi”, was a famous U.S. publisher. His most significant achievement was as founder of the eponymous Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897.-Biography:...
, the New York publisher.
He bequeathed funds to the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
to establish a literary prize, the W. H. Heinemann Award, given from 1945 to 2003.
The company logo is based on a woodcut by Sir William Nicholson of the windmill at Rottingdean
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, Sussex.
Sources
- Linda Marie Fritschner, ‘Heinemann, William (1863–1920)’, Oxford Dictionary of National BiographyDictionary of National BiographyThe Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 15 June 2006