The son of Esmé Gordon (1910–1993), an architect and Honorary Secretary (1973–78) of the Royal Scottish Academy,[1][2][3] and his wife Betsy,[4] Giles Gordon was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at the Edinburgh Academy,[5] an independent day school. Here he acted in school productions, including Iolanthe, with future broadcaster Gordon Honeycombe, among others. After school, where he persistently failed examinations; he attended, for a time, Edinburgh College of Art, where his father lectured on architecture.[6]
Publishing career
In 1959, he joined the Edinburgh publisher Oliver and Boyd as a trainee; he remained as their employee for nearly four years.[6] Following this, he moved to London in 1962,[7] and was advertising manager for Secker & Warburg for a year, editor at Hutchinson in 1966 and then of the plays list at Penguin, where he launched the Penguin Modern Playwrights series. He became editorial director at Gollancz in 1967 and stayed for five years, abolishing the uniform style in which the company's books had previously appeared.[6] At this time he interviewed playwrights for the Transatlantic Review.[7]
He recognised the merits of an early Adrian (then Nigel) Mole sketch by Townsend, and persuaded her to turn it into a full-length book, which together with its sequel sold more copies than any other two books by the same author during the 1980s.[7] Of wider significance, he suggested Spycatcher by Peter Wright, with Paul Greengrass, be written.[7] The book, which the British government attempted to ban internationally, detailed allegations of a criminal activity by the security services in which the principal author had directly participated. As an agent, he was successful in securing larger fees for his clients, including a £650,000 advance for Peter Ackroyd's biographies of Blake and Dickens[6] and a £250,000 advance for Vikram Seth's first novel and later £1.3 million for Two Lives, a memoir of Seth's great-uncle and aunt.[4]
Breaking with his employer Sheil Land in 1994, a court order prevented him from contact with his clients lest he poach them. He set up the Scottish office of Curtis Brown in 1994.[5] The offshoot was quietly closed after Gordon's death.
Writing
In 1961 and 1962 Gordon edited the first four issues of the Saltire Society's quarterly magazine New Saltire.[8][9]
In 1966 he released a collection of poems, Two & Two Make One, which was published by Akros[citation needed] on a print run of 350 copies. He also wrote half a dozen novels between 1971 and 1980, [7] and later a memoir Aren't We Due a Royalty Statement (1993), a title that caused accusations of impropriety by quoting a comment from one of his clients, the Prince of Wales.[5]
He married Margaret Eastoe in 1964; they had two sons and a daughter. His daughter Hattie had, at the time of her father's death, just published a memoir of her brother Gareth, who had committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 24.[10] His wife Margaret died of an incurable illness in 1989.[4] Gordon's second marriage was to Maggie McKernan in 1990, with whom he had a son and two daughters.
Gordon died aged 63, from injuries sustained in a fall a fortnight earlier outside his home in Edinburgh.[10] His funeral took place at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, and later a memorial service was held in London at the church of St-Martin-in-the-Fields[11] on 17 March 2004. He has a small marker stone at the foot of his parents' grave, where he is buried, against the north wall of the south-western extension of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh.
Sawday, Jonathan (1980), review of Ambrose's Vision: Sketches Towards the Creation of a Cathedral, in Cencrastus No. 4, Winter 1980-81, pp. 46–47, ISSN 0264-0856
References
^Robert Scott Morton and Anthony Wheeler, "Obituary: Esme Gordon", The Independent, 3 June 1993.
^"Alexander Esmé Gordon (or Esmé Gordon)" biography.
^"Alexander Esme Gordon", Herald Scotland, 2 June 1993.
^ abcdeObituary: "Giles Gordon", The Times, 15 November 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
^ abcdDavid Hughes, , The Independent, 17 November 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
^ abcdDennis Barker, "Obituary:Giles Gordon", The Guardian, 17 November 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
^ abcdeObituary: "Giles Gordon", The Daily Telegraph, 14 January 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
^Gordon, Giles (ed.), New Saltire: Summer 1961, The Saltire Society, Edinburgh
^Gordon, Giles (ed.), New Saltire 4: Summer 1962, The Saltire Society, Edinburgh
^ abTom Peterkin, "Giles Gordon, top literary agent, dies fortnight after fall", Daily Telegraph, 14 November 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
^"Memorial service - Giles Gordon", The Times (Court & Social), 19 March 2004.
giles, gordon, giles, alexander, esmé, gordon, 1940, november, 2003, scottish, literary, agent, writer, based, most, career, london, borngiles, alexander, esmé, gordon, 1940, 1940edinburgh, scotlanddied14, november, 2003, 2003, aged, edinburgh, scotlandeducati. Giles Alexander Esme Gordon 23 May 1940 14 November 2003 was a Scottish literary agent and writer based for most of his career in London Giles GordonBornGiles Alexander Esme Gordon 1940 05 23 23 May 1940Edinburgh ScotlandDied14 November 2003 2003 11 14 aged 63 Edinburgh ScotlandEducationEdinburgh Academy Edinburgh College of ArtParentEsme Gordon father Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Publishing career 3 Writing 4 Personal life 5 Selected bibliography 5 1 Novels 5 2 Short stories 6 Reviews 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and education EditThe son of Esme Gordon 1910 1993 an architect and Honorary Secretary 1973 78 of the Royal Scottish Academy 1 2 3 and his wife Betsy 4 Giles Gordon was born in Edinburgh Scotland and educated at the Edinburgh Academy 5 an independent day school Here he acted in school productions including Iolanthe with future broadcaster Gordon Honeycombe among others After school where he persistently failed examinations he attended for a time Edinburgh College of Art where his father lectured on architecture 6 Publishing career EditIn 1959 he joined the Edinburgh publisher Oliver and Boyd as a trainee he remained as their employee for nearly four years 6 Following this he moved to London in 1962 7 and was advertising manager for Secker amp Warburg for a year editor at Hutchinson in 1966 and then of the plays list at Penguin where he launched the Penguin Modern Playwrights series He became editorial director at Gollancz in 1967 and stayed for five years abolishing the uniform style in which the company s books had previously appeared 6 At this time he interviewed playwrights for the Transatlantic Review 7 In 1972 he clashed with the directors at Gollancz over their desire to remove some of the sex from a novel by Dennis Potter and joined agent Anthony Shiel later Sheil Land Associates 4 aiming to improve the terms for authors Among the writers he represented at one time or another were Peter Ackroyd Allan Massie Penelope Mortimer Vikram Seth Sue Townsend Barry Unsworth and Fay Weldon He recognised the merits of an early Adrian then Nigel Mole sketch by Townsend and persuaded her to turn it into a full length book which together with its sequel sold more copies than any other two books by the same author during the 1980s 7 Of wider significance he suggested Spycatcher by Peter Wright with Paul Greengrass be written 7 The book which the British government attempted to ban internationally detailed allegations of a criminal activity by the security services in which the principal author had directly participated As an agent he was successful in securing larger fees for his clients including a 650 000 advance for Peter Ackroyd s biographies of Blake and Dickens 6 and a 250 000 advance for Vikram Seth s first novel and later 1 3 million for Two Lives a memoir of Seth s great uncle and aunt 4 He returned to his love of the theatre as drama critic for The Spectator 1983 84 and the London Daily News briefly published by Robert Maxwell in 1987 He also leaked bookish gossip to Private Eye 5 and wrote their Bookworm column 4 Breaking with his employer Sheil Land in 1994 a court order prevented him from contact with his clients lest he poach them He set up the Scottish office of Curtis Brown in 1994 5 The offshoot was quietly closed after Gordon s death Writing EditIn 1961 and 1962 Gordon edited the first four issues of the Saltire Society s quarterly magazine New Saltire 8 9 In 1966 he released a collection of poems Two amp Two Make One which was published by Akros citation needed on a print run of 350 copies He also wrote half a dozen novels between 1971 and 1980 7 and later a memoir Aren t We Due a Royalty Statement 1993 a title that caused accusations of impropriety by quoting a comment from one of his clients the Prince of Wales 5 Personal life Edit The grave of Giles Gordon Grange Cemetery He married Margaret Eastoe in 1964 they had two sons and a daughter His daughter Hattie had at the time of her father s death just published a memoir of her brother Gareth who had committed suicide in 1994 at the age of 24 10 His wife Margaret died of an incurable illness in 1989 4 Gordon s second marriage was to Maggie McKernan in 1990 with whom he had a son and two daughters Gordon died aged 63 from injuries sustained in a fall a fortnight earlier outside his home in Edinburgh 10 His funeral took place at St Giles Cathedral Edinburgh and later a memorial service was held in London at the church of St Martin in the Fields 11 on 17 March 2004 He has a small marker stone at the foot of his parents grave where he is buried against the north wall of the south western extension of Grange Cemetery in Edinburgh Selected bibliography EditNovels Edit The Umbrella Man London Allison and Busby 1971 About a Marriage London Allison and Busby and New York Stein and Day 1972 Girl with Red Hair London Hutchinson 1974 100 Scenes from Married Life A Selection London Hutchinson 1976 Enemies A Novel about Friendship Hassocks Sussex Harvester Press 1977 Ambrose s Vision Sketches Towards the Creation of a Cathedral Brighton Harvester Press 1980 Short stories Edit Pictures from an Exhibition London Allison and Busby and New York Dial Press 1970 Farewell Fond Dreams London Hutchinson 1975 The Illusionist and Other Fictions Hassocks Sussex Harvester Press 1978 Couple Knotting Bedfordshire Sceptre Press 1978 Reviews EditSawday Jonathan 1980 review of Ambrose s Vision Sketches Towards the Creation of a Cathedral in Cencrastus No 4 Winter 1980 81 pp 46 47 ISSN 0264 0856References Edit Robert Scott Morton and Anthony Wheeler Obituary Esme Gordon The Independent 3 June 1993 Alexander Esme Gordon or Esme Gordon biography Alexander Esme Gordon Herald Scotland 2 June 1993 a b c d e Obituary Giles Gordon The Times 15 November 2003 Retrieved 19 January 2008 a b c d David Hughes Obituary Giles Gordon The Independent 17 November 2003 Retrieved 17 January 2009 a b c d Dennis Barker Obituary Giles Gordon The Guardian 17 November 2003 Retrieved 17 January 2009 a b c d e Obituary Giles Gordon The Daily Telegraph 14 January 2003 Retrieved 19 January 2009 Gordon Giles ed New Saltire Summer 1961 The Saltire Society Edinburgh Gordon Giles ed New Saltire 4 Summer 1962 The Saltire Society Edinburgh a b Tom Peterkin Giles Gordon top literary agent dies fortnight after fall Daily Telegraph 14 November 2003 Retrieved 17 January 2009 Memorial service Giles Gordon The Times Court amp Social 19 March 2004 External links Edit Giles Gordon Fellows Remembered The Royal Society of Literature Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Giles Gordon amp oldid 1114899480, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
