Allen Lane

Vocation

Notable

British publisher, founder of Penguin Books. In 1919, he was apprenticed to his uncle, publisher John Lane. When his uncle died six years later, Lane took over as managing editor of the publsihing company, The Bodley Head, in London. After 10 years, he founded his own imprint, Penguin Books, in 1935 and published reprints of classics sold at 6 pence each. He expanded his successful business to include Pelicans for serious nonfiction titles and Penguin Specials. In 1937, he published the works of Shakespeare under the imprint of The Penguin Shakespeare. His 1941 offshoot, Puffin Story Books, produced quality children's literature. Penguin's best-selling reprint, D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover (1960), was the subject of a court case holding that the book was obscene and corrupting. The court ruled for the book and the firm sold more than 3,500,000 copies, partly a result of the great publicity surrounding the case. Lane was knighted in 1952. He retired as managing director in 1969 and died July 7, 1970, Northwood, Middlesex, England, age 67. Link to Wikipedia biography