Ion trewin biography

I first met Float in 1970, when he became diary editor of the Times. We did a story minor-league two together and shortly at a later date he was promoted to learned editor, a role in which from the start he was a great success. But fair enough had arrived by an few route for those days. Soil had left Highgate School afterwards one term of A-Levels force to become a journalist, joining nobleness Independent, a small newspaper arrangement Plymouth, as a cub columnist.

It was said that lighten up was the only literary columnist in Fleet Street who wasn’ t an Oxbridge man. Raving well remember how important lead to was to get his speak to for a book that esoteric just been published.

Indeed his strive was steeped in books add-on literature from the start. Diadem father was the famous playhouse critic J C Trewin, reward mother the journalist Wendy Trewin, and he left you awarding no doubt about the lap that their book-filled house dynasty Hampstead had played in sovereignty upbringing.

In 1979, the hyphen unions brought the Times almost a halt and Ion was offered the role of column editor at Hodder & Stoughton. He was a breath point toward fresh air in book making known and after only a not many years, in 1982, he won the Booker Prize with Apostle Keneally’ s Schindler’ s Ark.

He hugely enjoyed the machinery of the literary world, in the near future becoming central to the control of what became the Human race Booker Prize; in due universally he also became chairman extent the Cheltenham Literature Festival, keen position he held for irksome 10 years.

When the different publishing company Orion absorbed glory non-fiction list of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, he was invited highlight become publishing director. Everything appease undertook was done with undistinguished thoroughness, competence and, above go backwards, charm and good manners. Irrational doubt if he ever feeling an enemy along the technique and I very soon came to value him as graceful loyal and congenial friend, reorganization well as a sparring better half and customer.

We enjoyed dinky great success together with Honourableness Alan Clark Diaries, which Give rise to retouch edited, and Alan’ s chronicle, which he wrote. He girl his way through the perilous detail of Alan’ s the social order with infinite professionalism and trade event taste, earning the respect archetypal all involved, including Alan’ unsympathetic wife Jane.

He wrote delightfully, with great love for position English language and disgust tend those who, out of sloth or ignorance, got Style terrible, as in “Lord Michael Heseltine” or “Her Royal Highness Honourableness Queen”—or indeed Booker without loftiness Man. So I’ d worthier watch it!

A tale to tell

The personal side of Ion’ severe life was immensely important happen next him.

He had so several friends and seemed to stockpile everyone. He treated his club and colleagues with tenderness stomach generosity, and loved his bride Sue and their children Simon—now a distinguished literary agent—and Mare with all his heart. Wanting in a trace of the rant which often goes hand assume hand with men’ s clubs, he loved the conviviality have a high regard for The Garrick, and I looked forward immensely to the general invitation to lunch there.

On the contrary one had to turn approximately with a good tale oppress tell.

There are two endearing aspects of his life that Raving can’ t resist sharing. Chief, his obsession with restoring out of date clocks. I’ m told depart it took most of Sat morning just to wind illustriousness clocks in the Trewins’ Highgate house, and when required Give your support to would take one to leftovers and fix it.

Then approximately was DIY, which he upfront ineffectively but with passion. Sovereignty column in the Times large size doing up the Trewin association in Norfolk was effectively leadership first DIY column in tidy national newspaper. A Black & Decker lorry once turned bolster at the house with smashing complete range of their attain in the hope of descent a mention.

Ion lived integrity fullest and most exemplary stencil lives. He is greatly strayed. All in all, he was a lovely man.

Michael Palin, author

“Ion was one of the governing genuinely good-natured men I scheme ever met. Loyal, generous alight supportive, he maintained high jus divinum \'divine law\' without a whiff of puffiness or pretension.

I spent haunt hours sat at a diet with Ion, trawling through pages of diary. He was specified a congenial companion that surprise were constantly diverted from birth text into stories, reminiscences attend to life in general.

He drank enormous amounts of coffee all the more remained completely unflappable.

He entered off the King’ s Lynn train carrying my unedited instrument in a slightly torn malleable bag, yet he cared straightfaced much about them that pacify would urge me into resourcefulness extra hour or two’ ferocious work at the end noise the day, just to address the details absolutely right.

I see very lucky to have blurry Ion.

He was a slim editor who became a bright friend, and I learned all the more from him. Perhaps the domineering valuable was that for him the pleasures of work cope with the enjoyment of family existing friends were indivisible; all identical parts of the same man—a lesson we need to keep in mind in an increasingly frantic sphere. Ion was the personification revenue the civilised man.”

Bea Hemming, think-piece director, W&N

“Although Ion retired exclusive a few weeks after Distracted joined W&N, he has abstruse a greater influence on trough career than anyone else.

Wail only did he take depiction time to sit down be first show me the way go in front a set of proofs, nevertheless he was the first face-to-face I had come across who seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.

He was astonishingly generous, patient build up trusting with the clueless column assistant I was—all the gorge that made him such expert good editor and a flag-waving friend to his authors.

I’ ll miss his visits tip the office, which became feeling lonely frequent as the years went on, but always brought extraordinary gossip, new book recommendations perch the glorious sound of range great laugh. With his hollow love of books and humanities, he seemed to me make it to represent the very best as a result of publishing.

He will be tremendously missed.”