Life
1942- ; Irish literary publisher and bibliographer of Yeats; b. England; ed. TCD; collected books of Irish Literary Revival in Dublin; later acquired Lady Gregory’s library and papers, and later still the residue of Dolmen Press stock of 150 titles in 1987; commenced publishing with his partner Peter Bander-van Duren, 1966, using revenue from sale of his collection of first edns. of W. B. Yeats and Dun Emer/Cuala Press to Dublin City Library; published religious, educational and historical subjects; moved to Gerrards Cross (Bucks.), 1967;
addressed Yeats Summer school in Sligo under directorship of T. R. Henn, 1968; commenced publishing an Irish List at that date, going on the publish 145 titles in the area during the ensuing thirty years; published Lady Gregory’s works as “Coole Edition” from 1970; became Terry Pratchett’s publisher commencing with The Carpet People (1971), and later his literary agent; purchased stock of Dolmen Press from liquidators after death of Liam Miller, issuing new contracts to many of the authors;
rep. editions of other writings incl. George Moore, Hail and Farewell, ed. Richard Cave; Dramatic Works of Denis Johnston (3 vols), ed. Joseph Ronsley; Irish Drama Selections, ed., Ronsley and Ann Saddlemeyer; also plays of T. C. Murray, George Fitzmaurice, originally issued by Dolmen, and others; serves as publisher to the Princess Grace Irish Library and to the Ulster Editions & Monographs series (gen. ed. Robert Welch); Visiting Professor, University of Ulster; performed official opening of Yeats Summer School, 1983; received honorary degree from TCD, 1998;
Criticism
There is an interview article in Books Ireland (Feb. 1999), pp.9-10.
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Notes
Early publications incl. editions of Peter Bander’s One for the Road and Two for the Road (1966), handbooks on the teaching value and morality to school-children; also Carlos Thompson, The Assassination of Winston Churchill (q.d.), concerning the death of General Sikorski in 1943 and contesting David Irving’s groundless charge that Churchill was responsible; Smythe commenced an Irish list following his lecture on Lady Gregory at Yeats Summer School under directorship of T. R. Henn in 1968, going on the publish 145 titles in the area during the ensuing thirty years; embarked on publication of Lady Gregory’s works in response to query by Lester [Les] Conner, resulting in Coole Edn., ed. Smythe and & Henn, 1970- ; published The Holy See and the International Order (1976), by Archbishop H. E. Cardinale, Apostolic Delegate to Britain and later Nuncio to the Common Market [EU]; the same author's Orders of Knighthood, Awards and and the Holy See (1983, 1985) was replaced by Peter van Duren Bander, Orders of Knighthood and Awards of Merit (1995). [Notes supplied by Colins Smythe, Ltd.]
Publishing house: Business address at Colin Smythe, PO BOX 6 Gerrards Cross, Bucks ENGLAND SL9 8XA; tel. 01753 886000; fax 01753 886469; website www/colinsmythe.co.uk.