Kaye Webb's guest appearances

Kaye Webb

Great Lives

Desert Island Discs: Archive 1991-1996

John Updike

Mary Stott

Chris Patten

Douglas Adams

Evelyn Glennie

Kenny Everett

Oliver Sacks

Cicely Saunders

Brian Eno

Hanif Kureishi

Jancis Robinson

Alfred Hitchcock

Elie Wiesel

Toni Morrison

Sammy Davis Jr

OwlTail

Janet Ellis

Writer, broadcaster and Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis champions the life of Kaye Webb, who burst on to the children's publishing scene in 1961 and changed the industry forever. With no publishing experience whatsoever, Kaye persuaded renowned authors like Roald Dahl and Nina Bawden to publish their hardback bestsellers as pocket-sized paperbacks that children could buy themselves. Hundreds of thousands flocked to join her Puffin Club with its riotous exhibitions, trips and competitions. Janet shares her memories of growing up abroad with her "portable kingdom" of Puffin books, and explains why Puffin and Blue Peter have a lot in common. Janet is joined in the studio by Kaye's biographer, the writer Valerie Grove. They talk about Kaye's three marriages, especially the last, to cartoonist Ronald Searle, then one of the most famous men in the country. We also hear personal memories of Kaye from Clare Morpurgo, daughter of Penguin founder, Sir Allen Lane.With thanks to Puffin Club expert Sherief Hassan, Philippa Dickinson and Emma Thompson.Photo courtesy of Seven Stories - The National Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle upon Tyne.Presented by Matthew Parris.Produced by Sarah Goodman for BBC Audio Bristol.

Writer, broadcaster and Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis champions the life of Kaye Webb, who burst on to the children's publishing scene in 1961 and changed the industry forever. With no publishing experience whatsoever, Kaye persuaded renowned authors like Roald Dahl and Nina Bawden to publish their hardback bestsellers as pocket-sized paperbacks that children could buy themselves. Hundreds of thousands flocked to join her Puffin Club with its riotous exhibitions, trips and competitions. Janet shares her memories of growing up abroad with her "portable kingdom" of Puffin books, and explains why Puffin and Blue Peter have a lot in common. Janet is joined in the studio by Kaye's biographer, the writer Valerie Grove. They talk about Kaye's three marriages, especially the last, to cartoonist Ronald Searle, then one of the most famous men in the country. We also hear personal memories of Kaye from Clare Morpurgo, daughter of Penguin founder, Sir Allen Lane. With thanks to Puffin Club expert Sherief Hassan, Philippa Dickinson and Emma Thompson. Photo courtesy of Seven Stories - The National Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle upon Tyne. Presented by Matthew Parris. Produced by Sarah Goodman for BBC Audio Bristol.

Janet Ellis on Puffin editor Kaye Webb

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is a publisher.Kaye Webb was made editor of Puffin Books in the 1960s, and held the job for nearly 20 years. She'll be talking to Sue Lawley about those years and also about the crowded professional life which preceded them. As an assistant editor for the pocket magazine Lilliput in the 1930s, she commissioned contributions from distinguished authors such as Evelyn Waugh, George Bernard Shaw and Dylan Thomas.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Sea Pictures - Where Corals Lie by Edward ElgarBook: Messages - poetry by Naomi LewisLuxury: Very big photograph album on a wheeling table

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is a publisher. Kaye Webb was made editor of Puffin Books in the 1960s, and held the job for nearly 20 years. She'll be talking to Sue Lawley about those years and also about the crowded professional life which preceded them. As an assistant editor for the pocket magazine Lilliput in the 1930s, she commissioned contributions from distinguished authors such as Evelyn Waugh, George Bernard Shaw and Dylan Thomas. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Sea Pictures - Where Corals Lie by Edward Elgar Book: Messages - poetry by Naomi Lewis Luxury: Very big photograph album on a wheeling table