Fredric Warburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fredric Warburg
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Fredric John Warburg
27 November 1898 Paddington, London, England
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| Died | 25 May 1981 (aged 82) London, England
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| Education | Westminster School |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupation | Publisher; author |
| Known for | Founder of Secker & Warburg, publisher of George Orwell |
Fredric John Warburg (born November 27, 1898 – died May 25, 1981) was a very important British publisher. He started his own company, Secker & Warburg, in 1935. He is best known for working closely with the famous author George Orwell.
During his long career, which ended in 1971, Warburg published Orwell's most famous books. These included Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). He also published books by other well-known writers like Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka. Other notable books he published were The Third Eye by Lobsang Rampa and The Bridge over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle. He even published Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.
Warburg played a key role in the history of Cold War propaganda. Propaganda means spreading ideas to influence people's opinions. He worked with Orwell's wife, Sonia Orwell, and a secret British government group called the Information Research Department (IRD). This group helped make Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four even more famous. With Warburg's help, Animal Farm was translated into over 16 languages. British embassies then shared the book in more than 14 countries to spread certain ideas. Warburg was also involved in selling the film rights for Animal Farm to the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This led to the 1954 animated film Animal Farm, which was the first full-length animated movie made in Britain.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fredric Warburg was born on November 27, 1898, in Paddington, London. His father, John Cimon Warburg, was a photographer. His mother was Violet Amalia Sichel. Both of his parents were of Jewish background.
When he was nine, Fredric went to Wilkinson's boys' preparatory school. Later, he won a scholarship to Westminster School. He found his first two years there very difficult. Even though he was good at schoolwork, he often felt like an outsider because he was Jewish. He found comfort and happiness in reading books.
In the summer of 1917, Warburg became an officer in the Royal Artillery. He served near Ypres until the end of World War I. After the war, he studied chemistry at Christ Church, Oxford. He later changed his studies to classics and philosophy. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1922.
Family Life
Fredric Warburg married May Nellie Holt on July 5, 1922. They had three sons: David, Hew Francis, and Jeremy Fredric. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1932. On January 21, 1933, Warburg married Pamela Bryer, who was a painter and designer. They had a son who sadly passed away shortly after birth.
During World War II, Warburg served as a corporal in the British Home Guard. This was a defense organization for civilians. Interestingly, George Orwell was a sergeant in the same section.
Fredric Warburg passed away from heart failure in London on May 25, 1981. He was 82 years old.
Publishing Career
Warburg began his career in publishing in 1922. He started as an apprentice at Routledge & Sons. There, he learned a lot from William Swan Stallybrass, whom he admired greatly. After Stallybrass died in 1931, Warburg became unhappy at Routledge. He was eventually dismissed in 1935.
Later that same year, Warburg and Roger Senhouse bought a publishing company called Martin Secker. It had gone into financial trouble. They renamed it Secker & Warburg.
Secker & Warburg's Unique Stance
The new company became known for its independent political views. It was against both fascism and Communism. This often put the company at odds with many thinkers of the time. Some of the books they published included World Revolution by C. L. R. James and Stalin by Boris Souvarine.
Working with George Orwell
When George Orwell stopped working with his previous publisher, Victor Gollancz, he brought his next book, Homage to Catalonia (1938), to Secker & Warburg. From then on, Warburg's firm published all of Orwell's books. They became very close friends. In 1940, Warburg introduced Orwell to another author, T. R. Fyvel. The three of them planned to create a series of books called Searchlight Books.
Later Years and Retirement
The company faced financial difficulties because of paper shortages during and after World War II. Because of this, Secker & Warburg had to join the Heinemann publishing group in 1952. In the 1950s and 1960s, Secker & Warburg published books by many important authors. These included Simone de Beauvoir, Günter Grass, and Melvyn Bragg.
In 1961, Warburg became a director of the Heinemann group. He held this position until he retired in 1971.
Warburg also wrote two books about his own life and career. These were An Occupation for Gentlemen (1959) and All Authors are Equal (1973).
