Gollancz

Sir Victor Gollancz (1893-1967) was a British publisher and humanitarian. He was a supporter of left-wing causes and thought, was particularly sympathetic to Liberalism and Communism, and used his publishing house to promote and disseminate literature that espoused socialist and pacifist philosophies.

Born in Maida Vale, London, Gollancz attended St. Paul's School, London and New College, Oxford before becoming a schoolteacher. Soon after, he met Ernest Benn and was hired to work at his publishing company, Ernest Benn Limited. In 1927, Gollancz founded his own publishing house, which would publish works by such authors Ford Madox Ford, George Orwell, Elizabeth Bowen, Daphne du Maurier, and Franz Kafka.

Gollancz also established the Left Book Club, which was the first book club in Britain. The Left Book Club was not only a book club run along commercial lines, but also a campaigning entity that aimed to propagate left-wing ideas in Britain. The establishment of the club marked the end of Gollancz's career solely as a publisher, as much of his energy was also committed to campaigning for socialist issues. A significant left-wing institution during the late 1930s and 1940s in the UK, it was established by Gollancz along with Stafford Cripps and John Strachey to inform and unite the British left. The club offered a monthly book choice, for sale to members only, as well as a newsletter that acquired the status of a major political magazine. It also held an annual rally. At the height of its operation, membership totaled 57,000.

As a humanitarian, Gollancz wrote about and campaigned for contemporary social issues, specifically regarding events in Europe during and after World War II. In particular, he issued pamphlets discussing the state of Communism in Europe, the persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazis, and his beliefs on the ethics of brotherly love. Gollancz was married to Ruth Lowy, with whom he had five daughters. He died in London in 1967.

Victor Gollancz Ltd.

Victor Gollancz Ltd. was a major British book publishing house of the twentieth century. It was founded in 1927 by Victor Gollancz, whose leftist and socialist politics reflected the titles he published. Gollancz published political works by authors such as George Orwell, H. N. Brailsford, John Strachey, Arthur Koestler, and others.

The publishing house began to transition into science fiction and fantasy titles in the 1960s, and continues to specialize in the publication of literature, nonfiction, and popular fiction, including crime, detective, mystery, thriller and science fiction.