Inscribed by Raymond Briggs to Julia MacRae on the front free endpaper: ‘For JULIA of JULIA MACRAE BOOKS With Thanks for All your Triffie Help with ‘JIM’ and Love from Raymond 1 July 1980’. Additionally signed and dated by Briggs to the title page.
Julia MacRae (1934-2023) was an important figure in the world of children’s publishing, some of her significant contributions include Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas. During her career she worked as an editor for Constable, Collins and Hamish Hamilton where she became the first female board member and one of the first women in any publisher’s boardroom. In an interview with ‘Women in Publishing: An Oral History’ MacRae speaks about her experiences as the first female member of the board, and how hard she had to work to get there.
In 1979 she left Hamish Hamilton having become not only the managing director of the children’s book division, but also the director of both Hamilton and its parent company Thomson Books. She established her own imprint Julia MacRae Books, initially part of Franklin Watts, then Walker Books, and finally Random Century.
MacRae worked on Briggs’ books while she was at Hamish Hamilton and she would go on to publish his works under the imprint she established in 1979.
A near fine copy, a little bumping to the edges of the boards.
