Christina Foyle
Christina Foyle | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 30, 1911 |
| Died | June 8, 1999 (aged 88) |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, proprietor |
| Known for | Proprietor of Foyles bookshop, founder of the world's first public literary luncheon |
Christina Agnes Lilian Foyle (30 January 1911 – 8 June 1999) was a prominent English bookseller and proprietor of the renowned Foyles bookshop.
Early life
Christina, the daughter of William Foyle—who co-established the Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road—entered the family enterprise at the age of seventeen after completing her education in Switzerland. Among William’s three offspring, she was the sole individual to follow a professional path in bookselling.
At just nineteen years old, Christina initiated the world's inaugural public literary luncheon, which brought distinguished authors such as Rudyard Kipling, George Bernard Shaw, and H. G. Wells into direct engagement with readers. This concept expanded upon her father’s previous literary lecture series but achieved far greater acclaim.
Career
For close to seven decades, Christina Foyle oversaw the Foyles literary luncheons, hosted at prestigious locations like the Dorchester Hotel and Grosvenor House Hotel, featuring speakers including Bertrand Russell and Margaret Thatcher.
In 1937, together with her father, she helped establish the conservative-leaning Right Book Club, created as a counterpart to the earlier leftist Left Book Club. This club republished works emphasizing conservative and classical liberal ideas, catering to a distinct audience.
Christina assumed full control of Foyles in 1945. During her tenure, the bookstore experienced limited growth due to underinvestment and stringent management policies. Employees received low wages, were often dismissed before qualifying for employment protections, and unionization attempts were actively opposed. The store resisted adopting contemporary retail technologies—no electronic cash registers or telephone order systems—and maintained inefficient payment procedures requiring customers to queue multiple times.
Books were arranged by publisher rather than by subject or author, reflecting an antiquated organizational method. Despite these operational shortcomings, Foyles continued to procure rare and costly publications internationally without requiring advance payment.
Christina developed connections with notable literary and political personalities, including Kingsley Amis, Charles de Gaulle, D. H. Lawrence, and Margaret Thatcher. Her collection of correspondence notably contained a letter from Adolf Hitler replying to her objection against Nazi book-burning practices.
The Foyle Foundation
Established in 2001 according to Christina Foyle's testament, the Foyle Foundation provides funding to UK-based charities, primarily focusing on arts and education (formerly also supporting health until 2009). By 2010, it managed assets exceeding £76 million and had distributed grants amounting to £41.4 million as of June that year. Among its significant contributions was support for acquiring the St Cuthbert Gospel, the oldest complete European manuscript, for the British Library during 2011/12.
In popular culture
The lead character Christopher Foyle in the ITV drama series Foyle's War was named by screenwriter Anthony Horowitz in honor of Christina Foyle.
See also
- Beeleigh Abbey, former home of Christina Foyle
External links
- Obituary, The Guardian, 10 June 1999.
- Obituary, The New York Times, 11 June 1999
- Obituary, The Independent, 11 June 1999
- Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 10 June 1999
- Christina Foyle - National Portrait Gallery