He
was the founder of Writers’ News and the
publisher David & Charles.
Years
ago, I’d been in touch by letter a couple of times and of course kept up to
date with his regular monthly column in Writers’ News. He was a true
professional, courteous and always helpful to aspiring writers, happy to pass
on his considerable experience.
Writers’ News began life as
one of his projects in retirement after he sold David & Charles. He set up
the David St Thomas Charitable Trust which offers a wide range of prizes for
writers.
In
his penultimate article in the magazine (October 2014), he talks about his writing
factual articles and regales us with his experience and his links with
Southampton, from where he would board Cunard liners and give lectures. I specifically
wrote ‘talk’ because that’s how he always came across in his DT Column – a chat
between him and you, the reader.
He
sold many a book during his lecture sessions – and he was indeed prolific.
Perhaps a moral can be gleaned from the fact that he always seemed to carry a
copy of his latest book – ‘the other day I made a sale on Bath station waiting
for a train to Plymouth to an American who asked what I did, and said that they
were avid book readers.’
He
died quietly in his sleep on 18 August while on one of his P&O cruises.
I’m
sure I won’t be alone in offering commiserations to his wife Sheila and his
family, as his life touched so many writers.
The
editor, Jonathan Telfer, will publish a full tribute in the
next issue of Writing Magazine. (Writers' News is a separate magazine found inside this one.)
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