Penguin Books

“We believed in the existence in this country of a vast reading public for intelligent books at low price, and staked everything on it.”
– Sir Allen Lane, 1902-1970, founder of Penguin Books

I’ve been reading books published by Penguin ever since I can remember. And yet, I’ve never known the history behind Penguin Books… until last evening, when I bought a copy of Neil Griffiths’ Saving Caravaggio. For, inside this book, on the very last page, was a brief history of Penguin Books… from which I’ve included an excerpt narrating the origin of Penguin Books:

“He just wanted a decent book to read …

Not too much to ask, is it? It was in 1935 when Allen Lane, Managing Director of Bodley Head Publishers, stood on a platform at Exeter railway station looking for something good to read on his journey back to London. His choice was limited to popular magazines and poor-quality paperbacks – the same choice faced every day by the vast majority of readers, few of whom could afford hardbacks. Lane’s disappointment and subsequent anger at the range of books generally available led him to found a company – and change the world.”

The page I refer to offers a representation of the evolving Penguin logo and continues to reinforce the Penguin philosophy of quality reading in the paperback format. You are likely to find such a page in other Penguin paperbacks as well. Should you wish to know more about the history of Penguin Books, you may look up the Penguin UK website here.

[Citation: Quote and text reproduced from inside (last) page in Neil Griffiths’ Saving Caravaggio, Penguin Books, 2007.]