The Queen Anne Press (logo stylized QAP) is a small publisher (originally a private press).

History

It was created in 1951 by

Lord Kemsley James Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley, GBE (7 May 1883 – 6 February 1968) was a Welsh colliery owner and newspaper publisher. Background Berry was born the son of John Mathias and Mary Ann (''née'' Rowe) Berry, of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. ...

, proprietor of ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'', to publish the works of contemporary authors. In 1952, as a wedding present to his then Foreign Editor, Kemsley made

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...

its managing director.Pearson, John. ''The Life of Ian Fleming'', p.188. McGraw-Hill, 1966. The press began by concentrating on limited editions. Lycett states that under Fleming's management, the company was modelled on the Black Sun Press, run by the poet

Harry Crosby Harry Crosby (June 4, 1898 – December 10, 1929) was an American heir, World War I veteran, ''bon vivant'', poet, and publisher who for some epitomized the Lost Generation in American literature. He was the son of one of the richest banking fam ...

, nephew of financier

J. P. Morgan John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known ...

, although it owed more to Kemsley's other private press, the

Dropmore Press The Dropmore Press was a British private press founded in 1945 by the newspaper-owner Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley. Kemsley acquired the type, paper-stock, printing equipment and press-man of the Corvinus Press, which closed in 1945, followi ...

, with which it shared printing equipment, and books from the two were very alike in the period between 1951 and 1955. Director Ann Fleming, the socialite wife of Ian Fleming (and a long-time correspondent of

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

), requested support for the press from her literary friends, which included

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

Nancy Mitford Nancy Freeman-Mitford (28 November 1904 – 30 June 1973), known as Nancy Mitford, was an English novelist, biographer, and journalist. The eldest of the Mitford sisters, she was regarded as one of the "bright young things" on the London s ...

and

Stephen Spender Sir Stephen Harold Spender (28 February 1909 – 16 July 1995) was an English poet, novelist and essayist whose work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry by the ...

. She asked Waugh in particular "please write me ten thousand words on some saint with interesting habits". Waugh proposed to collect a few robust reviews under the title ''Offensive Matter''. This was shelved, however, in favour of an illustrated book ''The Holy Places'', which had previously only been published in periodical form. The book, with wood-engravings by

Reynolds Stone Alan Reynolds Stone, CBE, RDI (13 March 1909 – 23 June 1979) was an English wood engraver, engraver, designer, typographer and painter. Biography Stone was born on 13 March 1909 at Eton College, where both his grandfather, E. D. Stone, and fa ...

(a protégé of

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

, according to Waugh, who did not like the book nor its illustrations), was ready in time for Christmas, 1952. In the early years, the press also published works by other highly respected authors including travel writer

Patrick Leigh Fermor Sir Patrick Michael Leigh Fermor (11 February 1915 – 10 June 2011) was an English writer, scholar, soldier and polyglot. He played a prominent role in the Cretan resistance during the Second World War, and was widely seen as Britain's greates ...

and the essayist

Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly CBE (10 September 1903 – 26 November 1974) was an English literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine ''Horizon'' (1940–49) and wrote '' Enemies of Promise'' (1938), which combin ...

, whose book ''The Missing Diplomats'', a scoop on the Cambridge Spy Ring, was a popular work, prompting Ann to write "business is flourishing" A possible purchase of the press by Ian and Ann Fleming was considered in 1954-5, but although a price was discussed it appears the sale never came to fruition. In 1955 or 1956 the printing equipment was sold, and the Queen Anne Press became a publishing imprint only. Fleming remained at the helm until his death in 1964, and the imprint was subsequently absorbed by the publishing interests of

Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, member of parliament (MP), suspected spy, and fraudster. Early in his life, Maxwell escaped from N ...

, becoming an imprint specialising in sporting books. In 2007 the Queen Anne Press was acquired by Ian Fleming's literary estate. Queen Anne Press also published the journal ''The Book Collector'' (formerly ''Book Handbook''), whose editorial board consisted of bibliophiles

Michael Sadleir Michael Sadleir (25 December 1888 – 13 December 1957), born Michael Thomas Harvey Sadler, was a British publisher, novelist, book collector, and bibliographer. Biography Michael Sadleir was born in Oxford, England, the son of Sir Michael ...

, John Hayward, John Carter, Percy Muir and

. The Queen Anne Press has also published the sporting annuals ''

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...

'', ''

Rothmans Football Yearbook ''The Football Yearbook'' (formerly ''Rothmans Football Yearbook'' and ''Sky Sports Football Yearbook'') is a British football reference book published annually by Headline (a division of Hodder Headline). It was first published in 1970 for the ...

'' and '' Rothmans Snooker Yearbook''.

Since 2008

Inspired by the centenary of Ian Fleming in 2008, the Queen Anne Press published a limited edition of his complete works, including a new collection entitled ''Talk of the Devil''; a posthumous volume of rarely seen material, some of it unpublished; the title was taken from a list that Fleming kept in his notebook. Further limited editions have been published under the Queen Anne Press imprint, including ''Ian Fleming: The Bibliography'' (2012) by Jon Gilbert, winner of the 16th

ILAB Breslauer Prize for Bibliography The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is a non-profit umbrella organization of bookseller associations, with its legal location in Geneva, Switzerland. It federates 22 National Associations of Antiquarian Booksellers, representing ...

Selected publications

.''The Holy Places'' With Wood Engravings by Reynolds Stone (1952). Limited to 950 copies (50 were specially bound in leather and signed by both author and illustrator). There was a revised second impression in 1953, limited to 1000 copies (again with 50 copies specially bound and signed by Waugh). * T. S. Eliot. ''A Presidential Address to the Members of the London Library'' (1952). *

. ''The Missing Diplomats'' (1952). Introduced by Peter Quennell, the book concerns

Guy Burgess Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess (16 April 1911 – 30 August 1963) was a British diplomat and Soviet agent, and a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of the Cold War era. His defection in 1951 ...

, Donald MacLean and the infamous

Cambridge Spy Ring The Cambridge Spy Ring was a ring of spies in the United Kingdom that passed information to the Soviet Union during World War II and was active from the 1930s until at least into the early 1950s. None of the known members were ever prosecuted for ...

. *

. ''

A Time to Keep Silence ''A Time to Keep Silence'' (1953) is a travel book by British author Patrick Leigh Fermor. It describes Fermor's sojourns in monasteries across Europe, and is praised by William Dalrymple as a "sublime masterpiece". This was an early publicat ...

'' (1953) Limited edition of 500 copies. * John Carter. ''The A.E Housman Manuscripts'' (1956). *

Enoch Powell John Enoch Powell, (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, author, linguist, soldier, philologist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (1950–1974) and was Minister of Health (1 ...

. ''Great Parliamentary Occasions'' (1960). *Serge Lemoine & Grania Forbes. ''The Sporting Royal Family'' (1962). *

Dudley Noble Dudley Noble, who started at the Rover Company in 1911 as a motorcycle tester and competition rider, became one of the British automobile industry's pioneering publicists. He arranged one of the first ever promotional films to be shot, in 1912, ...

. ''Milestones in a Motoring Life'' (1969). *Dr. T. F. Gaskell. ''Using the Oceans'' (1970). *

Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall (born 2 November 1934) is an Australian former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player. He won a record 23 Majors in singles, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and, before the Open Era, a record ...

. ''Play Tennis with Rosewall'' (1975). *

Denis Law Denis Law (born 24 February 1940) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a forward. His career as a football player began at Second Division Huddersfield Town in 1956. After four years at Huddersfield, he was signed by Manchester City ...

. ''Denis Law; An Autobiography'' (1979). * Alan Minter. ''Minter: An Autobiography'' (1980). *

George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest p ...

. ''Where Do I Go From Here; An Autobiography'' (1981). *

Tony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE (born 7 July 1944) is a retired English golfer. He was the most successful British player of his generation, winning two major championships, the 1969 Open Championship and the 1970 U.S. Open. He was also Ryder Cup captain ...

. ''The First Forty Years'' (1985). *

Mark Lawrenson Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June 1957) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool, among others, during the 1970s and 1980s. After a short career as a manager, he then became a radio, television and internet pu ...

. ''The Autobiography''. With a Foreword by

Bob Paisley Robert Paisley OBE (23 January 1919 – 14 February 1996) was an English professional football manager and player who played as a wing-half. He spent almost 50 years with Liverpool and is regarded, due to his achievements with the club, ...

(1988). *

Sir Donald Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...

.''The Bradman Albums'' (1988). *

Jimmy White James Warren White (born 2 May 1962) is an English professional snooker player who has won three seniors World titles. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his fluid, attacking style of play, White is the 1980 World Amateur Champion, 2009 ...

. ''Snooker Masterclass'' (1988). *

John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...

. ''Racing Characters'' (1988). *

Ray French Raymond James French, MBE (born 23 December 1939) is an English former rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. French played at international level in both codes. He won four caps for England in rugby union ...

. ''100 Greatest Rugby League Players'' (1989). *

Peter Alliss Peter Alliss (28 February 1931 – 5 December 2020) was an English professional golfer, television presenter, commentator, author and golf course designer. Following the death of Henry Longhurst in 1978, he was regarded by many as the "Voice of g ...

. ''100 Greatest Golfers'' (1989). *

Henry Cooper Sir Henry Cooper (3 May 19341 May 2011) was a British heavyweight boxer, best remembered internationally for a 1963 fight in which he knocked down a young Cassius Clay before the fight was stopped because of a cut eye from Clay's punches. Coo ...

. ''100 Greatest Boxers'' (1990). *

David Campese David Ian Campese, AM (born 21 October 1962), also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player (1982-1996), who was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and played 85 Tests at wing and 16 at fullback. He retired in 1996 and was aw ...

. ''On A Wing And A Prayer'' (1991). *

Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. A forward, he played for several professional clubs from 1968 to 1984. Having begun his career at Scunthorpe United, he moved to Liverpool in 1971 and ...

. ''The Seventies Revisited'', with Norman Giller (1994). *

Reg Gutteridge Reginald George Gutteridge, (29 March 1924 – 24 January 2009) was a British boxing journalist and television commentator. Gutteridge was born into a boxing family in Islington, London. His grandfather, Arthur, was the first professional ...

, with Norman Giller. ''Mike Tyson: The Release of Power'' (1996).

References

* Paul W. Nash. 'The Dropmore and Queen Anne Presses' in ''The Private Library'', 5th series, 5:3, Autumn 1992, pp. 108–134. 'Addenda', 5th series, 6:4, Winter 1993, pp. 181–183.

External links

*
Official site of Ian Fleming Publications
{{Authority control Publishing companies established in 1951 James Bond books Small press publishing companies 1951 establishments in England