Bernard Grasset

Who was Bernard Grasset?

Bernard Grasset was a French publisher, born in Chambéry in 1881. In 1907, he founded the well known Paris-based publishing house which bears his name.

Orphaned at a young age, Grasset was raised by his uncle in Montpellier. After obtaining a doctorate in Economics, he heads for Paris, befriends a few authors and soon starts his publishing enterprise, initially under the name 'Les Editions Nouvelles' (The new publishing).

Beyond the success of this company, Bernard Grasset is also known for his leadership in the publishing industry, in particular he:

- increased in the number of books printed for a given edition, to 10,000 rather than 2,000 as was then practiced.

- introduced advertising of literary goods and also press offices

- played an important role in disseminating and promoting the works of contemporary authors

Bernard Grasset died in 1955, a few months after selling the company to the 'Hachette' group which holds 'Editions Grasset' to this date.

Famous Quotes:

• To love is to stop comparing.
• Success is often only a revenge on happiness