253:, Hecht was quoted as saying: "Anyone can create a high-class literary list of prestige titles. It's better to have a balanced list, comprising books that make money and those perhaps more worthy titles that don't. My adage is that a publisher’s first duty to an author is to remain solvent." Nevertheless, characterised as a risk-taker, he also expressed the view that, as a publisher: "You have the freedom, and I'd be inclined to say, the duty, to publish books of a minority interest and titles whose time may not yet have arrived or ideas that challenge received wisdom." As he said in an interview with
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Set up in 2003, the Ernest Hecht
Charitable Foundation has the aim of providing financial and practical assistance that can "making a difference to people's lives". The Foundation aims to support the work of other charitable organisations in helping the disadvantaged and promoting the advancement of
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Souvenir Press had more than 500 titles in print by the time of Hecht's death in 2018 and had number-one bestsellers on both sides of the
Atlantic. Book series published by Souvenir included Condor Books, Human Horizons and Independent Voices. Hecht celebrated the company's 65th anniversary in April
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He died in hospital in London after a short illness, on 13 February 2018. Unmarried and without children or heir, Hecht was reported as having said: "I’m not unduly worried what happens to
Souvenir when I’m not here for the simple reason that I won’t be here."
171:(Jewish refugee) child in 1939; he recalls: "On the train to England as a young man, I remember throwing up on one of the Gestapo. My mother must have been terrified but the man said it was ok because he had children of his own." He was evacuated to
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Hecht started
Souvenir Press in 1951 in his bedroom at his parents' flat with a loan of ÂŁ250, "a bed, a desk, a typewriter and a phone in the hall", his first book being "a paperback on cricket entitled
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459:, in recognition of his contribution to promoting Brazilian culture in the English-speaking world, through publishing some of Brazil's most notable writers, such as
117:, one of the very few remaining independently owned major publishing houses in Great Britain. In 2003 he set up the Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation. Described by
224:, written by a college friend and retailing at two shillings (ten pence)." Hecht successfully built the business up and ran the company for more than six decades.
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404:; InterAct Reading Service; Mildmay Mission Hospital; Dementia Care; Resource: The Jewish Employment Advice Centre; Scottish Disability Golf Partnership;
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by 2002. In 2016, Hecht dismissed suggestions of an autobiography with the words: "Publishers' books never sell."
113:(21 September 1929 – 13 February 2018) was a British publisher, producer, and philanthropist. In 1951, he founded
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Ernest Hecht and
Souvenir Press also produced concerts and presented many theatrical productions, including
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the arts and education by making grants, with the aim of making a difference in a particular field.
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1284:"Nobel prize winners and stocking fillers – 65 years in the murky waters of London publishing"
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Producing an eccentric list of titles ("His authors have ranged from
Argentine revolutionary
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for services to
Publishing and Charity in June 2015. In August 2015, he was honoured by the
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Charities and organisations the
Foundation has so far been able to support include:
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as "one of a number of émigrés who changed the face of
British publishing after the
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1164:"The London Book Fair International Excellence Awards 2016: Winners Announced"
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Hecht lived and worked in London, where he was a long-standing supporter of
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1090:"Chile condecora a Carlos Fuentes con la Medalla de Honor Pablo Neruda"
1040:"Lady Mayoress of London opens Singing for the Brain™ group in Croydon"
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2001 Lifetime
Achievement Award, the Neruda Medal presented by the
257:: "The rule of independent publishing is that there are no rules."
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in 2001, and he was a chairman of the Society of Bookmen.
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British publisher, producer and philanthropist (1929–2018)
844:
Human Horizons Series (Souvenir Press) - Book Series List
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Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom
1184:"US, China shine at LBF International Excellence Awards"
498:. Hecht was the literary agent of Brazilian footballer
856:
Independent Voices (Souvenir Press) - Book Series List
592:"Swainson, Hecht, Campbell and Bond honoured by Queen"
978:"Facilities for Blind and Partially Sighted Visitors"
612:"Who is the publisher who makes the best impression?"
1017:"Ernest – a refugee who has truly earned his honour"
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1273:"The freedom to publish and the duty to challenge"
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231:to comic chronicler of the British upper classes,
858:, publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
846:, publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
502:and found the time to attend nine of the past 11
195:), and went on to read Economics and Commerce at
183:. In the mid-1940s he attended Quintin School in
1322:"Ernest Hecht, independent publisher – obituary"
764:"Many happy returns to a publishing phenomenon"
553:"Celebrating the voices which sang the changes"
412:; Macmillan Centre Clinical Nurse Specialists;
279:British Book Awards Lifetime Achievement award
1201:"Why it’s hats off to Arsenal fan Ernest OBE"
953:"Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation accounts"
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530:"'Wise and witty' Ernest Hecht dies, aged 88"
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1372:Czechoslovak emigrants to the United Kingdom
1392:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
1154:, Souvenir Press website, 1 September 2015.
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1152:"Ernest Hecht Awarded Order of Rio Branco"
249:...") from a notoriously untidy office in
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1116:. University College London. 22 June 2006
633:"Queen's birthday honours list 2015: OBE"
581:, The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation.
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997:"The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation"
897:"The last of the literary entrepreneurs"
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222:Len Hutton: The World's Greatest Batsman
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924:"Wily Ernest is still going great guns"
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490:: he took his Arsenal hat with him to
364:The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation
91:Publisher, producer and philanthropist
1266:"Ernest Hecht and the Souvenir Press"
1071:"The Specsavers National Book Awards"
1061:, Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation.
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1352:20th-century British philanthropists
474:In April 2016 Hecht was awarded the
1042:, Alzheimer's Society, 6 July 2012.
786:"Ernest Hecht, the great eccentric"
451:He was appointed an Officer of the
392:'s Dame Myra Hess Day; Whizz-Kidz;
940:Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation
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374:Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
1367:British book publishers (people)
1362:Book publishing company founders
1357:Alumni of the University of Hull
1224:Ernest Hecht (28 January 2002).
444:, and an honorary fellowship of
400:"Singing for the Brain" groups;
683:"Letter: Ernest Hecht obituary"
478:Simon Master Chairman's Award.
438:Specsavers National Book Awards
265:, including Norwegian novelist
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145:Queen's Birthday Honours List
869:"Importance of being Ernest"
494:when accepting his OBE from
1114:"UCL Fellowships conferred"
788:, Sorgai, 9 September 2014.
453:Order of the British Empire
436:Hecht's awards include the
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1136:"Ernest Hecht made an OBE"
187:, London (later to become
1057:28 September 2014 at the
804:25 September 2015 at the
446:University College London
382:University College London
99:Founder of Souvenir Press
1382:Kindertransport refugees
1301:"Obituary: Ernest Hecht"
666:"Obituary: Ernest Hecht"
261:2016. He published five
1312:"Ernest Hecht obituary"
1255:Souvenir Press website.
1173:, The London Book Fair.
1006:, The National Gallery.
720:"Ernest Hecht obituary"
551:Tom Foot (5 May 2006).
469:Carolina Maria de Jesus
422:Marie Curie Cancer Care
402:Action for Blind People
197:Hull University College
189:Quintin Kynaston School
82:Hull University College
1169:10 August 2016 at the
394:Royal College of Music
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709:, 19/4, 2008, p. 178.
703:"Balancing the books"
488:Arsenal Football Club
420:; St John's Hospice;
269:and the Chilean poet
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1206:11 June 2016 at the
1052:"Who We Have Funded"
1022:4 March 2016 at the
930:, 25 September 2009.
895:(11 November 2000).
390:The National Gallery
330:; and most recently
328:Ambrosine Phillpotts
245:to tap dance legend
213:Great Russell Street
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1318:, 19 February 2018.
1307:, 15 February 2018.
1214:, 10 December 2015.
1095:4 June 2016 at the
1076:15 May 2016 at the
874:2 June 2016 at the
742:3 July 2015 at the
726:, 19 February 2018.
672:, 14 February 2018.
536:, 13 February 2018.
528:Katherine Cowdrey,
457:Order of Rio Branco
426:St John's Ambulance
418:RAF Benevolent Fund
398:Alzheimer's Society
386:Chickenshed Theatre
292:Uproar in the House
276:Hecht received the
153:Order of Rio Branco
149:President of Brazil
1279:, 27 October 2011.
1277:Camden New Journal
1212:Camden New Journal
1142:, 3 December 2015.
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1002:2013-05-17 at the
983:2012-05-11 at the
957:Charity Commission
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812:, 27 October 2011.
810:Camden New Journal
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610:Sally Chatterton,
558:Camden New Journal
442:Chilean government
378:Cardboard Citizens
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115:Souvenir Press Ltd
959:. 27 October 2011
681:C. S. Breslauer,
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286:Music and theatre
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64:(2018-02-13)
25:Ernest Hecht
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1347:2018 deaths
1342:1929 births
461:Jorge Amado
448:, in 2006.
324:Peter Jones
320:Terry Scott
267:Knut Hamsun
241:adventurer
229:Che Guevara
133:Paul Hamlyn
1336:Categories
1295:Obituaries
1237:5 November
1120:5 November
963:5 November
564:5 November
514:References
358:Barb Jungr
350:Jan Watson
251:Bloomsbury
203:Publishing
175:, then to
159:Early life
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44:1929-09-21
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300:Joan Sims
296:Brian Rix
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566:2011
500:Pelé
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