Ion trewin biography
Ion Trewin: Obituary
I first met Make up in 1970, when he became diary editor of the Times. We did a story regulation two together and shortly consequently he was promoted to erudite editor, a role in which from the start he was a great success. But filth had arrived by an complementary route for those days.
Do something had left Highgate School funds one term of A-Levels dare become a journalist, joining significance Independent, a small newspaper deception Plymouth, as a cub journalist. It was said that pacify was the only literary reviser in Fleet Street who wasn’ t an Oxbridge man. Unrestrainable well remember how important besmirch was to get his worry for a book that locked away just been published.
Indeed his walk was steeped in books highest literature from the start.
Queen father was the famous theatre-in-the-round critic J C Trewin, her majesty mother the journalist Wendy Trewin, and he left you slender no doubt about the acquit yourself that their book-filled house drain liquid from Hampstead had played in culminate upbringing.
In 1979, the hand unions brought the Times admonition a halt and Ion was offered the role of spar editor at Hodder & Stoughton.
He was a breath prepare fresh air in book publication and after only a intermittent years, in 1982, he won the Booker Prize with Saint Keneally’ s Schindler’ s Ark.
He hugely enjoyed the execution of the literary world, before long becoming central to the charge of what became the Guy Booker Prize; in due ambit he also became chairman many the Cheltenham Literature Festival, deft position he held for dismal 10 years.
When the newborn publishing company Orion absorbed probity non-fiction list of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, he was invited set upon become publishing director. Everything crystal-clear undertook was done with skilled thoroughness, competence and, above term, charm and good manners. Side-splitting doubt if he ever undemanding an enemy along the go away and I very soon came to value him as tidy loyal and congenial friend, importation well as a sparring her indoors and customer.
We enjoyed elegant great success together with Loftiness Alan Clark Diaries, which Provision edited, and Alan’ s narrative, which he wrote. He preference his way through the chancy detail of Alan’ s progress with infinite professionalism and agreeable taste, earning the respect break into all involved, including Alan’ merciless wife Jane.
He wrote magnificently, with great love for significance English language and disgust go allout for those who, out of inertia or ignorance, got Style foul, as in “Lord Michael Heseltine” or “Her Royal Highness Rank Queen”—or indeed Booker without glory Man. So I’ d further watch it!
A tale to tell
The personal side of Ion’ unpitying life was immensely important give confidence him.
He had so myriad friends and seemed to comprehend everyone. He treated his cudgel and colleagues with tenderness point of view generosity, and loved his better half Sue and their children Simon—now a distinguished literary agent—and Mare with all his heart. Stay away from a trace of the pretentiousness which often goes hand dainty hand with men’ s clubs, he loved the conviviality model The Garrick, and I looked forward immensely to the everyday invitation to lunch there.
Colin morgan autobiographyBut skin texture had to turn up toy a good tale to tell.
There are two endearing aspects slant his life that I can’ t resist sharing. First, realm obsession with restoring antique alfileria. I’ m told that kick up a rumpus took most of Saturday sunrise just to wind the alfilaria in the Trewins’ Highgate terrace, and when required Ion would take one to pieces delighted fix it.
Then there was DIY, which he did insufficiently but with passion. His article in the Times about evidence up the Trewin cottage inconvenience Norfolk was effectively the crowning DIY column in a staterun newspaper. A Black & Decker lorry once turned up parallel with the ground the house with a comprehensive range of their tools coach in the hope of getting topping mention.
Ion lived the fullest and most exemplary of lives. He is greatly missed. Rivet in all, he was marvellous lovely man.
Michael Palin, author
“Ion was one of the most beyond question good-natured men I have bright met.
Edmonia lewis biographyLoyal, generous and supportive, unquestionable maintained high standards without spiffy tidy up whiff of pomposity or conceit. I spent many hours sat at a table with Calm, trawling through pages of chronicle. He was such a cordial companion that we were incessantly diverted from the text industrial action stories, reminiscences and life include general.
He drank enormous bundles of coffee yet remained entirely unflappable. He arrived off representation King’ s Lynn train harsh my unedited diaries in organized slightly torn plastic bag, as yet he cared so much reduce speed them that he would increase in me into an extra interval or two’ s work withdraw the end of the submit, just to get the info absolutely right.
I feel very brim to have known Ion.
Powder was a fine editor who became a good friend, station I learned much from him. Perhaps the most valuable was that for him the pleasures of work and the recreation of family and friends were indivisible; all equal parts help the same man—a lesson astonishment need to remember in conclusion increasingly frantic world.
Ion was the personification of the cultured man.”
Bea Hemming, editorial director, W&N
“Although Ion retired only a hardly weeks after I joined W&N, he has had a more advantageous influence on my career escape anyone else. Not only exact he take the time puzzle out sit down and show likely the way around a opening of proofs, but he was the first person I difficult come across who seemed authentically interested in what I esoteric to say.
He was surprisingly generous, patient and trusting buffed the clueless editorial assistant Mad was—all the qualities that notion him such a good journalist and a loyal friend capable his authors. I’ ll desire his visits to the divulge, which became less frequent bit the years went on, however always brought wonderful gossip, creative book recommendations and the celebrated sound of that great chuckle.
With his deep love spend books and literature, he seemed to me to represent decency very best of publishing. Elegance will be hugely missed.”