Franklin Thomas Grant Richards

Born: 21 October 1872 in University Hall, Hillhead, Partick, Lanarkshire, England.

Died: 24 February 1948 at 3 avenue des Citronniers, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Franklin Thomas Grant Richards was a British publisher and writer. After creating his own publishing firm at the age of just 24 years old, he launched The World's Classics series (still published by Oxford University Press as Oxford World's Classics) and published major authors including George Bernard Shaw, A.E. Housman, Samuel Butler and James Joyce. He made "a significant impact on the publishing business of the early twentieth century"

Aleister Crowley met with Grant Richards on 24 May 1922 and tried to sell him on the idea of publishing his Memoirs [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley], however Richards demurred, doubting its marketability. Crowley then offered him The Diary of a Drug Fiend which Richards again declined and referred him to the publishers Hutchinson or William Collins.

Early life and career:

He was born Franklin Thomas Grant Richards in University Hall, Hillhead, Partick, Lanarkshire on 21 October 1872. His father was Franklin Thomas Richards, a fellow and tutor of Trinity College, Oxford.

 1880 he attended school first at Langdale House, Oxford and later he attended the City of London School.

He was close to his uncle Grant Allen, a Canadian science writer and novelist. Allen recognized his nephew's interest in books and publishing and it was thanks to Allen that in 1888 Richards obtained his first job as a junior clerk at the wholesale booksellers, Hamilton, Adams and Company. Allen also helped obtain a position with W.T. Stead, the publishers of Review of Reviews where for six years Richards would be employed as an editor and reviewer.

Career as a publisher:

In 1897 Richards launched his own publishing house under the name of Grant Richards and based at 9 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London. He published several books by Grant Allen, including titles in the Grant Allen’s Historical Guides series and The Evolution of the Idea of God: An Inquiry into the Origins of Religion.

Again in 1897 Richards began publishing Dumpy Books for Children, a series of small, pocket books for children. With their tiny size, charming stories and poems and coloured illustrations, the series was an instant success. "[T]he success of the Dumpy format encouraged other publishers to release small children’s books" (for example, in 1902 Frederick Warne issued Beatrix Potter's series with a similar success).

In 1898 he published books by major authors: Plays: Pleasant and Unpleasant by George Bernard Shaw and a new edition of A Shropshire Lad by A. E. Housman. In 1900 he published G. K. Chesterton's The Wild Knight and Other Poems (the first book by that author), Saki's The Rise of the Russian Empire and Ernest Bramah's The Wallet of Kai Lung. In 1901 he published Fame and Fiction: An Enquiry into Certain Popularities by Arnold Bennett. In 1901 and 1903 he issued Erewhon Revisited and The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler.

In 1901 he launched The World's Classics series of reprints of literary classics. While the titles in this series were mostly public domain books, Richards aimed to distinguish his series from those of his competitors by publishing well produced books at an affordable price.

Unfortunately, when the series experienced a great success with the reading public, the undercapitalized firm went into heavy debt to meet the unexpected demand. This, along with firm's move to larger premises at 48 Leicester Square, led to bankruptcy and liquidation of the business in 1905. Henry Frowde, the manager of the Oxford University Press, purchased the series which is still published to this day as Oxford World's Classics.

Richards moved to smaller premises in 7 Carlton Street and started a new publishing firm under the name E. Grant Richards (the first initial being added from his wife's name, Elisina). In 1908 he moved once again—to 8 St. Martin’s Street—and began trading as Grant Richards Ltd. In this period he published A Commentary (1908) by John Galsworthy, Spain, a Study of Her Life and Arts by Royall Tyler (1909), Dubliners (1914) and Exiles: A Play in Three Acts (1918) by James Joyce, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (1914) by Robert Tressell, and several works by John Masefield. He published Love's Wild Geese (1924) and several other books by Jack Kahane, who would later establish the Obelisk Press.

In 1926 he underwent bankruptcy for a second time. He thenceforth published under the name of the Richards Press.

Career as a writer:

Richards was the author of nine novels, beginning with the first three, Caviare (1912), Valentine (1913) and Bittersweet (1915). These three novels have been said to "capture the essence of romance—seeking love, fine food, fine wine and Paris". Richards's final novel was published in 1935. A number of these novels were published by Richards's own firm and others were published by major publishers such as Jonathan Cape, William Heinemann and Cassell.

Richards also published two autobiographies—Memories of a Misspent Youth (1932) and its sequel, Author Hunting by An Old Literary Sportsman (1934)—in which "much valuable information about the literary world of the period is recorded".

Personal life:

Richards married twice. In 1898 he married Elisina Palamidessi de Castelvecchio (later known as Elisina Tyler) (1878–1959), the great-great-granddaughter of Napoleon’s brother Louis. They had four children:

Gioia Vivian Mary Elisina Grant Richards Owtram;

Gerard Franklin Richards;

Charles Geoffrey ("Carlos") Richards; and

Geoffrey Herbert Richards.

Their marriage ended in divorce in 1914.

On 2 July 1915 he married Maria Magdalena de Csanády (later known as Marie Madeleine Agnes Richards) (born 1889/90).

Richards died at 3 avenue des Citronniers, Monte Carlo, Monaco on 24 February 1948. His final address in Britain was given in the probate documents as "46 Buckingham-court, London S.W.1".