Tag: Mid 1900s

The New International Version of the Bible

The efforts of one man in the mid-1950s brought about the publication of the New International Version of the Bible, a contemporary English translation that provided an accurate and understandable alternative to the King James Version, which had been the dominant translation for centuries. More

1949: Harper & Brothers publishes the Pulitzer-Prize winning Annie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks…

Harper & Brothers publishes Annie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks, which wins the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry and makes Brooks the first African American writer to receive the award. More

A Bear Called Paddington

The original story of the bear who arrived at Paddington Station from darkest Peru. More

Agatha Christie at her Devonshire home

Agatha Christie, known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime, is the best-selling novelist in history, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. More

Profiles in Courage

Harper & Brothers helped groom the image of a future president when it agreed in the mid-1950s to work with a young senator on a collection of biographical sketches about courageous American lawmakers. More

1941: Avon Books is established…

Avon Books is established by New York businessman Joseph Meyers in association with Edna B. Williams. Now renowned for widely popularizing the historical romance category, the publisher originally begins with a focus on paperback reprints. More

At the Mountains of Madness

Lovecraft’s work has influenced the whole spectrum of those working in the horror genre. More

The Muddleheaded Wombat

First introduced on ABC Radio, Muddleheaded Wombat is one of Australia’s most adored children’s book characters. More

200 Years of HarperCollins Publishers

HarperCollins Publishers began as J. & J. Harper, a small family printing shop run by brothers James and John Harper in New York City in March 1817. More

Employees in the Collins Canada general office, circa 1940s

Collins Canada employees working in the general office during the 1940s More

Stuart Little

White’s beloved classic about a small mouse on a big adventure is a perennial bestseller. More

Where the Wild Things Are

This winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal changed the face of children’s literature. More

What Do People Do All Day?

Over 100 million Scarry books have sold worldwide; a favorite in his classic Busytown series. More

I, Robot

Asimov’s science fiction masterpiece that influenced a legion of future authors. More

Agatha Christie

The house of Collins acquired “Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie after she disagreed with her former publisher over the spelling of “coco”/”cocoa” in her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. More

Bernie and Pat Zondervan outside their Grand Rapids headquarters

The publishing house of Zondervan was launched during the Great Depression (1931) by brothers Pat and Bernie Zondervan in the spare bedroom of a Michigan farmhouse. More

Judith Kerr: Beyond The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Collins author Judith Kerr may be best known in the UK for her classic children’s picture books The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Forgetful Cat, but she is also renowned for her powerful autobiographical novels about her childhood and young adulthood. More

The Wapshot Chronicle

Winner of the 1958 National Book Award, it established Cheever as a major American novelist. More

The Inklings

Clive Staples Lewis (better known as C. S. Lewis) loved nothing more than sitting in the back room of his favorite pub, The Eagle and Child, surrounded by his closest literary friends, including J. R. R. Tolkien. More

1953: William Collins and Sons gains the rights to publish C. S. Lewis…

William Collins and Sons purchases the religious publishing firm of Geoffrey Bles, Ltd., gaining the rights to the works of C. S. Lewis, including his Chronicles of Narnia fantasy books. More

Peace with God

First book from Billy Graham, said to be the most influential Christian voice of this century. More

Born Free

Its remarkable interaction between the author and a lion cub named Elsa enchanted generations. More

1937: Zora Neale Hurston’s masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God is published…

J. B. Lippincott publishes Zora Neale Hurston’s masterpiece, Their Eyes Were Watching God. More

Sounder

Newbery Award–winning book that became an influential children’s work on race and class. More

C.S. Lewis and Christianity

Born in 1898 in Belfast, Clive Staples Lewis lost his faith in Christianity at a young age after his mother died and he was sent away to boarding school. More

The Once and Future King

White’s masterful retelling of the Arthurian legend. More

The Zondervans on their silver anniversary

Bernie and Pat Zondervan, founders of the religious publishing firm Zondervan, review some of their early publications on the silver anniversary of their company in 1956. More