Bookbuyer's
Bookend
The sudden news last week that Penguin are to discontinue their schools publishing programme made one of the year's sadder bits of reading. It also bore some contrast to the tones of optimism adopted by the firm's chief executive shortly after his appointment a year ago; and to the sunny profile shown by Peg' guin's former chairman Christopher Dolley (who started the Education division in the mid-'sixties) shortly before his 1973 departure. And it provided a rather poignant reminder of Sir Allen Lane's own prophetic words, spoken a few weeks before his death, when he said that, "very few publishing firms survive the death of their founder in recognisable form." The full ramifications of the Penguo; decision have yet to be fully understood. Wili they, for instance, choose to sell the school list, and the staff who have created it, to a rival publishing house? If so, will it have any real value without the Penguin seal of approval? What happens to those titles already incorporated into the educational syllabuses? VVI.11 they be allowed to go out of print? Penguin 5 own guarded announcements have so far given few clues to the affair, except to indicate that it was largely brought on by the economic crisis. In the circumstances Bookbuyer is glad to see that energetic small publisher doing his bit to help the Ravaged Bird. A few days ago IN-1.11. Owen received a royalty cheque from Pengtio for no less than £52,800 — a sum which, even in his wildest optimism, he could hardly have expected. Conscience prevailing, he did the decent thing and checked. Sure enough there had been a mistake and enquiries revealed that the sum should have been £5,280. The cheque had been signed by two of Penguin's most senior executives who, in accordance WItil. company policy, have to see all cheques over £2,000 as a safeguard against error. Following his commiserations with Miss Carmen Calil — who recently found herself barred from a party for the *very book she was responsible for promoting—Bookbuyer now hea,rs of another bizarre incident in the polite publishing world. The protagonists are Messrs Andre Deutsch, who held a convivial affair or: election night to launch the Sunday Time° Insight team's book on the Middle East vval:' They had the novel idea of sending out invi. tations "with the compliments of Kitty Sari. some, Publicity Manager," without a word t° the able Miss Sansome who had neither been invited to the party, nor told of it.
Meanwhile publishers' spring catalogues cell: tinue to arrive, some of them furtively and wit" astounding tardiness. As usual they are 85 much a source of good clean entertainment 85 most of the books they aim to advertise' Bookbuyer's prize for doubtful titLes goes lc: the new firm of William Lucombe for P°'t,'" and Pants (a cookery book for men) Wit"„ Pieces of Speight (Robson Books) and Winterci' Tale — Ivor Herbert's book for Pelham on Fr!e Winter's racing stable — running it a CI°'t second and third. It is fair to say, however. Oa_ Britain just cannot compete with America of , such matters. Among the more recent US i)d ferings Bookbuyer has been privileged to re° about The Watergate Cookbook ("101 peachable recipes"), Good as Golda biography of Mrs Meir), On with the Wind 1:IY,s Martha Mitchell, lovable wife of Americ!,e former Attorney General ("No, don't tell what she said. I might jump out of the 01"1„ dow"), and a mysterious item by Thomas 6 Martin called Malice in Blunderlandi______2
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