13/11/2019
Dear Readers and Friends,
Today I complete 30 years at Temple Lodge Publishing. I’m certain of the date, as I remember beginning on the Monday following the fall of the Berlin Wall…
When I started, we had half a dozen titles available. Since that time we have published some 250 original new titles, as well as hundreds of new editions and reprints in different formats – plus the many Clairview Books' titles published when it was still an imprint of TLP.
A few months after I began, the trustees at Temple Lodge (then part of the centre in Hammersmith) decided to close the loss-making publishing department. I was kept on as Secretary and to wind up the publishing by passing on the existing titles to another publisher. Not being impressed by the terms offered, I appealed to the trustees and was given the opportunity to continue the publishing on a no-subsidy basis. Fortunately, it grew quickly (thanks, partly, to Evelyn Capel’s support and having key author Sergei Prokofieff), and five years later I was asked to take on Rudolf Steiner Press in addition. Five years after that, we began Clairview Books (which, later, was made into an independent company at the request of the trustees due to the political content of some of the books).
I’m grateful for this kind destiny, as well for the support of readers, authors and trustees over three decades.
In recent years we appear to be having a renaissance, with strong lists featuring exciting authors such as Are Thoresen, Nicanor Perlas, J. Ben-Aharon & Jeremy Naydler – and for 2020 we have more good books than we can shake a stick at…
I won’t say I’m looking ahead to the next 30 years, but hopefully at least another 10!
With best wishes,
Sevak Edward Gulbekian
