Jamie Hamilton (publisher)

Jamie Hamilton (November 15, 1900 - May 24, 1988) was a half-American half-Scot British champion oarsman, who is best remembered today as the founder of the eponymous publishing house Hamish Hamilton Limited. ("Hamish" is the Celtic form, "James" the English form - which was also his given name, and "Jamie" the diminutive form). Confusingly, Jamie Hamilton was often referred to as "Hamish Hamilton".

He was a law and language student at Caius College, Cambridge before attracting attention as an oarsman with Thames Rowing Club and winning the Grand Challenge Cup in 1927 and 1928, and being the Olympic Silver medallist (with the British eight at the Amsterdam Olympics, 1928). He was an employee of the book department at Harrod's before founding his own publishing house "Hamish Hamilton" in the 1930s.

He went on to publish a large number of promising British and American authors, many of whom were personal friends and acquaintances of "Jamie Hamilton". Jamie Hamilton sold the firm to the Thomson Organisation in 1965, who resold it to Penguin Books in 1986.

References

* [http://www.hamishhamilton.co.uk/nf/shared/WebDisplay/0,,214007_14_1,00.html A biography of Jamie Hamilton and a history of Hamish Hamilton] at the official Hamish Hamilton site
* [http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/03070102.html A link] to the Hamish Hamilton Collection at the University of Bristol, and a short biography