Penguin books chief executive John Makinson talks about the publisher as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.BBC News - Picking up Penguins for 75 years British Broadcasting CorporationHome Accessibility links Mobile Skip to content Skip to local navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation Skip to bbc.co.uk search Help Accessibility Help Business Home UK Africa Asia-Pac Europe Latin America Mid-East South Asia US Canada Business Health Sci/Environment Tech Entertainment Video Market Data Economy Companies 30 July 2010 Last updated at 17:42 GMT Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Picking up Penguins for 75 years By Clare Matheson Business reporter, BBC News Sir Allen Lane brought a new way of thinking to the publishing world Tales of the man who founded Penguin 75 years ago, conjure up the image of an eccentric character from one of the publishers books. Sir Allen Lane was the man who used a fairground slide to drop deliveries to his company (then based in a crypt) and came up with the Penguincubator - a vending machine for the firms books to be installed on train platforms. Stories differ as to whether this machine was ever made, with some reports suggesting at least one machine was installed at Charing Cross Station in London. But as current Penguin chief executive and chairman John Makinson chats about the brand, he touts Sir Allen as the man who changed the reading habits of a nation. Distinctive When Allen Lane founded Penguin in 1935 he had a pretty simple, but pretty radical idea: make great literature available to everyone at an affordable price and for it to appeal not just to the wallet, but to literary taste and the eye, with beautifully designed jackets and style, says Mr Makinson. Related stories In Pictures: Penguin books at 75 Amazon offers new look UK Kindle Although they were not the first paperbacks, they were truly innovative and captured the imagination. In fact, the companys distinctive branding has captured the heart of the public so much it is now availa...
