William Emrys Williams

Bill Williams (1896 - 1977) was Editor-in-Chief of Penguin Books from 1936 to 1965 and powerhouse of popular education in the 20th century. [1]

A close collaborator with Allen Lane, Penguin's founder, for over thirty years, he was the cultural force behind Penguin Books' success. Creator of the Pelican imprint, he was devoted to lifelong learning and cultural democracy.

In 1934 he set up the "Arts for the People" scheme, taking fine art to gallery-less towns.

During the Second World War he insisted - despite controversy - on the right to education for servicemen and women, and ran the Army Bureau of Current Affairs.

In 1940 Williams was instrumental in establishing CEMA, the Committee for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts.

From 1951 to 1963 Williams was Secretary-General of its successor, the Arts Council.

A regular broadcaster, he was talks critic of "The Listener", radio critic of "The Observer" and television critic of the "New Statesman".

He gained the American Medal of Freedom, a CBE and knighthood.

Williams had a turbulent personal life combining a happy marriage to the economist Gertrude Rosenblum and a passionate 15-year relationship with Estrid Bannister - 'the Naughtiest Girl of the Century'. His secretary, Joy Lyons, burned his memoirs before taking her own life, the night after his death.

[1] Sander Meredeen: "The Man Who Made Penguins. The Life of Sir William Emrys Williams", Stroud, Gloucestershire: Darien-Jones Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-902487-03-8.