In Memoriam: David Gadsby

When David joined A & C Black as an editor in 1955, Soho Square was still lit by gaslight and the books were sent into the basement warehouse down a chute at the front of the offices at 4, 5 and 6 Soho Square. A & C Black was run by Archie Black as Chairman; he and his son Charles carried on the firm’s family tradition, unbroken since it was founded in 1807.

Black’s had recently published Looking at History by R J Unstead, which was a huge success, and were struggling to find authors to write a similar geography series for 9-11 year-old children. David boldly suggested that he and his wife Jean could write it (despite the fact that their UCL degrees were not in geography). They took on the task, working together to write the text, brief illustrators and lay out the pages of Looking at Geography. The four volumes explored the lives of children and working people in different countries, shining a fresh light on a previously dusty subject. The course was first published in 1957, around the time their first son was born, and was still popular in the 1970s when the fourth edition was published (with colour photos now replacing the black-and-white line art). Over three million copies were sold during the lifetime of the series.

David became Joint Managing Director, and worked in a happy partnership with Charles Black to grow and develop the firm, which became a plc in 1965. David was instrumental in the acquisition of many smaller publishers, including Ernest Benn, with its Blue Guides, in 1984, and Adlard Coles, with its Nautical Books, in 1990. Jill Coleman succeeded him as Managing Director, and he retired at the age of 70, as the ownership of A & C Black passed on to Bloomsbury plc.

Along the way, David enthusiastically developed different areas of educational and reference publishing, changing the face of primary school music with a range of lively songbooks including Appuskidu and Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay, illustrated by artists like David McKee and Bernard Cheese. Visitors to the A & C Black offices, which had by then moved to Bedford Row, would be surprised to hear the sounds of a piano accompanying a small group of editors trying out songs for inclusion in the next book.

Working with Peggy Blakeley, a primary school headmistress in Radlett where David and Jean lived with their growing family of four children, David published over 70 books of poetry for children, including many surprising and unusual choices to grab children’s attention.

David was actively involved with Who’s Who, published by A & C Black since 1849 — though by convention at the time, those who worked on the publication retained strict anonymity. A party at the National Portrait Gallery in 1998 celebrated 150 years of the publication; David wrote the preface to the anniversary volume, and welcomed many of its most famous subjects to the party.

David was deeply involved in the wider publishing world, which at that stage was still very much centred in a small area close to his office. He became Treasurer of the Publishers’ Association, and took part in several delegations, including leading one to lobby China to sign up to international copyright law. He was actively involved in the world of education, believing that educational publishing’s role was about “changing what happens in schools.”

David moved to Blackheath in 1982 with his second wife Gillian, and spent a happy 40 years there with a wide group of friends, enjoying regular travel. He continued his involvement in publishing through several years as a director of Tate Enterprises (during the time when Tate Modern was opened). He was an active member of the Book Society, Wynkyn de Worde Society, the Blackheath Architecture group and the Garrick Club into his nineties, meeting publishing friends at the Garrick for a regular Monday lunch at the round table. In his final years, dementia limited his naturally sociable spirit.

David took great pleasure from the fact that his sons, Adam and Oliver, became publishers, whilst his daughters, Jo and Tat, became teachers. He loved nothing better than a Gadsby gathering with Gillian, his four children, ten grandchildren and four great-grandsons, who will all miss him hugely.

Obituary by Adam Gadsby (David’s son)