MEET YOUR 2024 / 2025 RENTER WARDENS - JOHN PEACOCK
21 NOVEMBER 2024
I was born in Derby, went to the local grammar school and then Cambridge University where I studied Russian and French. My first job after university was in publishing – writing and editing a Russian-teaching magazine – which led to a prolonged stay in the Soviet Union (as then was) in the cold-war depths of 1970.
Returning to the UK I came back to publishing but gradually migrated from editorial work into production and distribution roles, first with Harrap and then – in a long and very happy publishing career – with Macmillan. During this time I wrote several books on Book Production and collaborated on many others with a number of colleagues including Mike Barnard, fellow Stationer and my long-time mentor and director in Macmillan.
I was very privileged to travel extensively during this period, as Macmillan had many overseas offices and needed printing facilities all over the world.
On retiring at the end of 2010, I turned to an abiding interest – fine art – and took a BA then an MA as a (very) mature student at Birkbeck University of London. Through this venture I discovered oil painting restoration, which has provided a very nice hobby ever since.
I was a guest at many Stationers’ functions from the 1990s onwards and became a Freeman in 2010, a Liveryman in 2012 and now, in 2024, I’m proud and honoured to become one of your four Renter Wardens for the coming period.