Paul Hamlyn: British Publishing Mould Breaker

Paul Hamlyn was, without question, one of the most influential British publishers of the post-war period. He came into the book trade as an outsider, but his success and impact on British publishing had to be acknowledged eventually by the insiders. Hamlyn’s innovations and business flair succeeded because his new ideas operated outside of the established “rules” of publishing, and he managed to break the mould. This chapter details Paul Hamlyn’s fundamental role in challenging the established practices of British publishing. He published affordable, full-colour, coffee-table books for a general audience and experimented with new ways of producing and distributing books. Hamlyn’s business sense and innovations validated his new approach to publishing and selling books. In doing so, he expanded book ownership in an era of social change.