George Weidenfeld, Lord Weidenfeld, who has died aged 96, belonged to that remarkable group of Jewish refugees who transformed postwar British publishing into an exciting, dynamic industry.
What is the Weidenfeld fund?
Most recently he launched the Weidenfeld Fund, which, among other things, has provided money to rescue embattled Christians from Syria. His exceptionally large circle of friends and acquaintances extended from politics to the arts, academia and business.
Who is Weidenfeld & Nicolson?
George Weidenfeld was still in his twenties when he began his firm of Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 1948, in partnership with Nigel Nicolson, the author and son of Sir Harold.
What was the most rewarding advance that Weidenfeld ever made?
A dog-eared, much-rejected manuscript, New Deal for Coal, by a young civil service statistician, Harold Wilson, turned up on their desk. They accepted it, paying Wilson a £50 advance. It must have been among the most rewarding advances that Weidenfeld ever made. The book became a surprise success.
He was on good terms with popes, prime ministers and presidents and put his connections to good use for diplomatic and philanthropic ends. George Weidenfeld was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1919.
Who is Yitzhak Weidenfeld?
In 1949, Weidenfeld served for a year as the political adviser and Chief of Cabinet to Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel. In that role, Weidenfeld launched a campaign to convince the world that Israel should keep western Jerusalem.
What happened to Weidenfeld and Nicolson?
In 1991 Weidenfeld & Nicolson’s UK branch was sold to the Orion Publishing Group and became Orion’s main non-fiction imprint, with Weidenfeld as non-executive chairman. In 1993, the American company, Grove Nicolson, merged with the Atlantic Monthly Press to form Grove/Atlantic Inc.
When did Lord Weidenfeld become a British citizen?
Weidenfeld became a British citizen in 1947, was knighted in 1969, and created a life peer on 25 June 1976 taking the title Baron Weidenfeld, of Chelsea in the County of Greater London. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for public service.
