277:
was published by Blake after larger firms had rejected the book. While the advance to Price was £10,000, the book, ghost written by
Rebecca Farnworth, sold a million copies. "It's the kind of book bought by people who would find going into Hatchards or Waterstone's rather intimidating", Blake said in
352:
in May 2016; the purchase price was not disclosed. The company published 110 books in 2015 and turnover was £2,2 million. Blake remained in charge of the division. Both Blake and Virgo, plus their staff, left JBP in 2018 and joined
Bonnier's Kings Road Publishing division whose list includes Blink
299:
published the story in
September 2003, believing it to be "a rattling good yarn", but "inherently improbable". The dead "Jungly Barry" turned out to be one-time Northern folk singer named Barry Halpin. Blake initially stood by the book but, while it sold 20,000 copies, the remainder of the 60,000
340:
by
Manchester United hooligan Colin Blaney. Delays in paying royalties, apparently in breach of an obligation in 2,000 contracts, caused the publisher's authors to complain in the spring of 2016, Blamed on problems with a new computerised system intended to increase efficiency. Blake told
195:. It was a position he quickly came to dislike. "I had to wear a suit and I was stuck in an office on my own with a secretary outside", he told Emine Saner in 2004. In his first discussion with the
885:
109:, one of four siblings, to a nurse and a soldier who fought in both world wars, ultimately becoming a major. His father suffered a significant financial setback by the time his son was ten.
1157:
206:, he was told to cut costs: "So the very first job I did wasn't some great creative story or hiring a columnist, it was to make a hit list of people I was supposed to fire".
223:
which lasted until the deal collapsed. In a 2004 interview he said he lost his job and
Maxwell hid from him, but did receive a payoff equivalent to two years of his salary.
315:
for the inclusion of 11 "serious falsehoods" defaming
Rushdie. Rushdie did not seek any damages in his legal action. The first version of the book, which was serialised in
242:
in partnership with his brother, David Blake. After an acrimonious dissolution of the original partnership in March 2002, John Blake went sole proprietorship and founded
258:. Six months later, he was joined by journalist Rosie Ries (later Virgo), who became the company's managing director. In 1998, the company published autobiographies by
1022:
557:
189:
and launched a pop column called "White Hot Club". He was the newspaper's
Assistant Editor between 1984 and 1988. In 1988, Blake became editor of the
893:
608:
908:
130:
in the early 1970s, his journalism developed into a column titled "Ad Lib", a gossip column and lifestyle guide. It survived the merger of the
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126:
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819:
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informing
Rushdie of its existence, was rewritten and the original version's 4,000 print run was pulped.
307:
was about to be published by John Blake
Publishing under the name of Ronald Evans, a former bodyguard of
312:
588:
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print run were destroyed. Blake the following year described the incident as being his biggest error.
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was short-lived. Maxwell hastily announced Blake was being appointed as president of the
477:
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won a second 'Nibbie' as well as the IPA Award for
Independent Publisher of the Year.
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51:
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in the US during the period in 1989 when it was anticipated he would purchase the
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141:
93:, launched in November 2018, a venture with Richard Johnson and Derek Freeman.
345:
that after "a slight hiccup", "virtually all" outstanding fees had been paid.
666:
247:
121:. Further jobs at an evening newspaper in Luton and a news agency followed.
870:
266:
255:
434:
353:
Publishing, Lagom and 535, all of which issue adult non-fiction titles.
106:
47:
168:
launched in May 1982 concentrating on celebrity gossip. Launched when
81:(born 6 November 1948) is an English publisher and former journalist.
688:
324:
The company also publishes memoirs of football hooligans, including
311:. It had a Declaration of Falsity made against it by a Judge in the
285:, purporting to have discovered the missing (now presumed deceased)
1083:
384:
Blake's wife is Diane, his children are Emma, Charlotte and Adam.
1031:. Star Publications (Malaysia) Ltd. 17 April 2005. Archived from
909:"Salman Rushdie to appear in High Court as libel case is settled"
846:"Lord Lucan? Er, no. It's Barry the banjo player from St Helens"
117:
Blake left school at the age of 17 and gained employment at the
372:' national book award as Small Publisher of the Year. In 2010,
408:"John Blake launches Ad Lib publisher as Soho Friday closes"
844:
Morris, Steven; Chrisafis, Angelique (9 September 2003).
957:
The Firm: Towards A Study of 400 Football Hooligan Gangs
723:"John Blake and Rosie Virgo leave John Blake Publishing"
401:
399:
397:
162:
Blake was the first editor of 'Bizarre', a column in
552:
550:
548:
546:
544:
59:
30:
23:
716:
714:
749:"John Blake signs book by Mandela's prison guard"
356:John Blake launched Ad Lib Publishing in 2020.
972:"John Blake delays authors' royalty payments"
8:
289:had lived in Goa, India, quickly collapsed.
124:Beginning as a pop columnist for the London
959:. Charles Sturt University. pp. 26–45.
226:Briefly, in 1990, Blake was a producer for
1158:People educated at Westminster City School
1093:
176:, his immediate successor in the post was
20:
886:"Rushdie Shoots Down Book's False Claims"
775:"Katie Price knows how to kiss and sell"
515:
513:
511:
509:
507:
505:
503:
393:
16:English publisher and former journalist
471:
469:
467:
465:
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461:
459:
457:
455:
1056:"Hachette wins three at Trade Nibbie"
818:Greenslade, Roy (15 September 2003).
632:"Inside Story: The ex-editors' files"
609:"John Blake Esq Authorised Biography"
7:
1089:Bookseller Interview with John Blake
998:"Bonnier Publishing buys John Blake"
970:Cowdrey, Katherine (21 April 2016).
792:Barkham, Patrick (15 January 2007).
721:Cowdrey, Katherine (30 April 2018).
747:Farrington, Joshua (25 June 2013).
773:Sexton, David (2 September 2009).
488:from the original on 12 April 2016
476:Kean, Danuta (12 September 2002).
406:Chandler, Mark (29 January 2020).
14:
996:Cowdrey, Katherine (9 May 2016).
907:Alberge, Dalya (26 August 2008).
871:"Bodyguard apologises to Rushdie"
699:from the original on 14 July 2015
938:"Movies battling over hooligans"
589:"Newton returns to edit Bizarre"
587:Byrne, Ciar (18 November 2002).
303:In August 2008, a book entitled
884:Jordan, Mary (27 August 2008).
155:, friend of, and assistant to,
522:"Making a million from Jordan"
209:Blake's post as editor of the
1:
1054:Neill, Graeme (18 May 2010).
689:"About John Blake Publishing"
630:Morris, Sophie (8 May 2005).
936:Hughes, Matt (2 June 2003).
520:Saner, Emine (8 June 2004).
348:The company was acquired by
873:. BBC News. 26 August 2008.
281:A scoop in a book entitled
1179:
89:in May 2016. Blake joined
1121:
1109:
1101:
1096:
820:"They should be so lucky"
1163:The Sunday People people
1153:British male journalists
558:"About Blake Publishing"
305:On Her Majesty's Service
1023:"Shortlists and awards"
955:Redhead, Steve (2014).
925:(subscription required)
779:London Evening Standard
254:name kept to sell the
153:'Spanish Tony' Sanchez
97:was launched in 2020.
374:John Blake Publishing
366:John Blake Publishing
336:by Trevor Tanner and
267:Roy "Pretty Boy" Shaw
244:John Blake Publishing
146:Up and Down with the
83:John Blake Publishing
896:on 16 December 2013.
794:"I'm famous, buy me"
619:on 15 February 2013.
292:The Sunday Telegraph
260:bareknuckle fighters
238:In 1991, he founded
1035:on 12 December 2013
890:The Washington Post
183:Blake moved to the
350:Bonnier Publishing
318:The Mail on Sunday
309:Sir Salman Rushdie
105:Blake was born in
87:Bonnier Publishing
1131:
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1122:Succeeded by
439:Ad Lib Publishers
220:National Enquirer
151:, the memoirs of
95:Ad Lib Publishing
76:
75:
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1105:Ernie Burrington
1102:Preceded by
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892:. Archived from
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665:. Archived from
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615:. Archived from
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564:. Archived from
562:Blake Publishing
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527:Evening Standard
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478:"Gentleman John"
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252:Blake Publishing
240:Blake Publishing
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170:Kelvin MacKenzie
137:Evening Standard
85:was acquired by
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1084:Company website
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669:on 6 March 2001
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637:The Independent
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568:on 8 March 2001
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41:6 November 1948
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1097:Media offices
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1079:
1078:External links
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1073:
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1060:The Bookseller
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1002:The Bookseller
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976:The Bookseller
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753:The Bookseller
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482:The Bookseller
451:
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413:The Bookseller
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343:The Bookseller
334:Massive Attack
297:Dominic Lawson
235:
232:
204:Robert Maxwell
172:was editor of
157:Keith Richards
148:Rolling Stones
140:. In 1976, he
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1114:Sunday People
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52:Hertfordshire
49:
43:(age 75)
33:
29:
22:
19:
1112:
1110:
1063:. Retrieved
1059:
1049:
1037:. Retrieved
1033:the original
1026:
1017:
1007:20 September
1005:. Retrieved
1001:
991:
981:20 September
979:. Retrieved
975:
965:
956:
950:
941:
931:
918:20 September
916:. Retrieved
912:
902:
894:the original
889:
879:
865:
855:20 September
853:. Retrieved
850:The Guardian
849:
839:
829:20 September
827:. Retrieved
824:The Guardian
823:
813:
803:20 September
801:. Retrieved
798:The Guardian
797:
787:
778:
768:
756:. Retrieved
752:
742:
730:. Retrieved
726:
701:. Retrieved
692:
683:
671:. Retrieved
667:the original
662:
653:
643:20 September
641:. Retrieved
635:
625:
617:the original
612:
603:
594:The Guardian
592:
582:
570:. Retrieved
566:the original
561:
531:. Retrieved
525:
490:. Retrieved
481:
442:. Retrieved
438:
429:
417:. Retrieved
411:
383:
373:
368:received a '
365:
363:
355:
347:
342:
338:Undesirables
337:
333:
330:Cass Pennant
325:
323:
316:
304:
302:
290:
282:
280:
271:Being Jordan
270:
263:Lenny McLean
251:
250:), with the
243:
239:
237:
225:
218:
215:Mirror Group
210:
208:
196:
190:
186:Daily Mirror
184:
182:
178:Piers Morgan
173:
163:
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135:
132:Evening News
131:
127:Evening News
125:
123:
118:
116:
104:
94:
90:
82:
78:
77:
18:
1143:1948 births
1125:Wendy Henry
758:15 February
732:15 February
533:15 February
492:15 February
275:Katie Price
269:. In 2004,
91:Soho Friday
60:Occupations
1137:Categories
1119:1988–1989
388:References
313:High Court
287:Lord Lucan
283:Dead Lucky
234:Publishing
113:Journalist
101:Early life
79:John Blake
66:Journalist
37:1948-11-06
25:John Blake
913:The Times
659:"Catalog"
613:Debrett's
364:In 2005,
248:frontlist
202:s owner,
144:the book
134:with the
69:publisher
54:, England
1065:11 April
1039:11 April
697:Archived
486:Archived
256:backlist
142:co-wrote
703:9 April
673:9 April
572:9 April
444:9 April
435:"About"
419:9 April
295:editor
174:The Sun
165:The Sun
107:Hitchin
48:Hitchin
370:Nibbie
360:Awards
278:2007.
228:Sky TV
197:People
200:'
1067:2015
1041:2015
1009:2017
983:2017
920:2017
857:2017
831:2017
805:2017
760:2020
734:2020
705:2022
675:2022
645:2017
574:2022
535:2020
494:2020
446:2022
421:2022
326:Cass
265:and
31:Born
328:by
273:by
1139::
1058:.
1025:.
1000:.
974:.
940:.
911:.
888:.
848:.
822:.
796:.
777:.
751:.
725:.
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695:.
691:.
661:.
634:.
611:.
591:.
560:.
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524:.
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484:.
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454:^
437:.
410:.
396:^
332:,
230:.
180:.
159:.
50:,
39:)
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807:.
781:.
762:.
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707:.
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647:.
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496:.
448:.
423:.
246:(
35:(
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