Have you Ever Worked for a Company that Simply Inspires you?

A nostalgic look back at my time with Andersen Press

When I first moved to London, I signed up with recruitment agencies and did a couple of administrative jobs at some interesting companies from fashion houses to banks.

However, I had always wanted to work in publishing. Having no luck with placement through recruitment agencies, I took matters into my own hands and bought the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook. I wrote to all the publishing houses that caught my attention.

Sooner than you can even imagine, I was working for Andersen Press, a children’s book publisher. (There is something quite magical about children’s books — that beautiful intersection between illustration and text. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start.)

At the time, Andersen Press was a part of Random House and was based at the Random House offices in Pimlico. I’d look around in awe — books everywhere and, what’s more, people passionate about books and stories and authors and illustrators. It was an incredible place to be.

At the very beginning, we were in an area with three small offices and a cramped shared section. The first office belonged to Klaus Flugge, the publisher, who still smoked cigars in his office. Now, this was 2004 and things were about to change, but I was happy to glimpse an earlier time.

The next office was for the art director, Janice. She didn’t stay on all that much longer, but again, it was inspiring to meet her and catch sight of another time.

Janice and Beccy would head out to the stairwell to have a little cigarette. (Well, I think that’s where they went!) It was in those moments that I might have liked to puff on a cigarette just to be in their company. I would only have coughed up my lungs so it’s probably best I didn’t!

Anyway, I had enough to get on with. The third office was dedicated to the finance director, Frank. He was ancient to my 20-something-self back then. With a twinkle in his eye and heavy handwritten account ledgers all around him, I soon came to appreciate him enormously especially as he paid me for the half-month I’d worked at a time when I really needed that payment.

I remember him saying how he always looked after his staff first. I remember appreciating those old-school values. While I had not been there long, it felt like a significant moment in the company and a moment of immense change to a more up-to-date world.

My first task as a publishing assistant was to work alongside Frank and the tax office people to transfer the ledgers to an online system. I did this meticulously, carefully typing out all of Frank’s neat entries. (Imagine only going online in 2004!)

Very soon, we moved from this office space. The creative chaos, the old desks, and the precariously balanced stacks of books were replaced by an open-plan modern office on the second floor with pristine, white desks.

I must admit, it looked good and the light streaming in through the front windows was beautiful. It also had the most wonderful bookshelves to store the back catalog which is an important feature when it comes to a publishing house!

I missed the cozy feel of the first space, the musty-mixed smell of books and cigarettes, and the slightly off-tint on the walls. I also missed both Janice and Frank. By the time the new office was in place, both had moved on to explore other adventures.

The adventures of Andersen Press continued of course — and continue to do so. You can find out more on the Andersen website.