When was Allen Lane born and where did he grow up?
Allen Lane Williams entered the world on the 21st of September 1902 in Bristol. His parents were Camilla and Samuel Williams.
Questions about Allen Lane
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Allen Lane change his family name from Williams to Lane?
The family made a significant decision to change their surname from Williams to Lane to ensure that John Lane's childless company remained within the family. This allowed Allen Lane to inherit control of the publishing house founded by his uncle.
How did Allen Lane create Penguin Books and when did it become independent?
Allen Lane joined forces with his brothers Richard and John Lane to establish Penguin Books in 1935 while still part of the larger Bodley Head organization. The following year, Penguin Books became a separate independent company after tensions grew between Allen Lane and the board of directors at Bodley Head.
What inspired Allen Lane to publish affordable paperbacks during a train trip in 1934?
A popular story describes Allen Lane having a sudden inspiration during a train trip in 1934 when he visited Agatha Christie. He arrived at Exeter St Davids station with nothing worth reading available to him and conceived the idea for paperback editions of literature that were proven to be of quality.
Who designed the distinctive horizontal bands used on early Penguin book covers?
Edward Young designed the distinctive horizontal bands used on book covers and utilized Gill Sans Bold lettering for the titles on those early volumes. Young even visited the Zoo in Regents Park to sketch penguins for the cover art before the company changed its font to Times New Roman in 1937.