Robin Denniston | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1926-12-25)25 December 1926 |
| Died | 6 April 2012(2012-04-06) (aged 85) |
| Alma mater | Westminster School Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupations | Publisher, author, minister |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Alastair Denniston Dorothy Gilliat |
Robin Denniston (25 December 1926 – 6 April 2012) was a British publisher, author and minister. He worked forCollins,Hodder and Stoughton,Weidenfeld & Nicolson,Thomson Publications andOxford University Press.The Guardian indicated in his obituary that Denniston had "commissioned some of the most popular novels of the 20th century", whileThe Telegraph credits him with reversing Oxford University Press's economic misfortunes.[1][2] He was a clergyman in theChurch of England.
The son of teacher andmilitary intelligence specialistCommanderAlastair Denniston and his wife and coworker, Dorothy Mary Gilliat, Robin Denniston was born inLondon. He attendedWestminster School from autumn 1941. He studied classics atChrist Church, Oxford and served a stint in the Airborne Artillery.[1][2]
He was married twice, first to Anne Evans from 1950 to 1985.[2] Following her death fromcolon cancer, he wed the prominent developmental biologistRosa Beddington in 1987, remaining with her until her death from cancer in 2001.[3] He had three children, two daughters and a son, all with his first wife. Denniston died on 6 April 2012 following a lengthy illness.[3]
After national service, Denniston took a position in 1950 as a trainee in Glasgow with Collins, rising to head office and becoming an editor. In 1959, he served a year as managing director of Faith Press. In 1960, he went to Hodder and Stoughton, where his positions including editorial director andmanaging director.[1][2] He remained with Hodder and Stoughton until 1973. He held brief positions at Weidenfelt (1973-1975) and Thomson Publications (1975-1977) before settling at Oxford University Press as chairman of the academic division. According toThe Telegraph, Denniston was responsible for rescuing Oxford UP from the dire financial straits in which he found it, with important changes including short run printing and a shifting focus from general publishing to academic and scientific.[1] By the time of his departure from Oxford UP in 1988, he was second in command.[2]
The Guardian indicated in his obituary that Denniston had "commissioned some of the most popular novels of the 20th century".[2] Among other authors, Denniston is credited with working withJohn Le Carré through 16 bestselling novels,Anthony Sampson (withAnatomy of Britain and its successors) andErich Segal'sLove Story.[1][2]
Denniston's became first a deacon and then, in 1979, a priest in the Anglican Church.[1][2] In the 1970s he was an honorary curate, following which he became a stipendiary minister in Great Tew from 1987-1990. In 1990, he served three years as a minister in Fife Scotland. Thereafter, he was persuaded by its parishioners to return to Great Tew as its priest, from 1995 to 2002.[2][3]
In addition to publishing, Denniston was an author. An early novel,Young Musicians (1955), reflected his life long musical interests.Anatomy of Scotland (1992) was co-edited withMagnus Linklater. In 1997, he publishedChurchill's Secret War and in 1999Trevor Huddleston: A Life. His labour of love wasThirty Secret Years (2007), describing his father's life and work assembling the team atBletchley Park behindUltra, the WW2 codebreaking intelligence system.[1]
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