Una Dillon
Una Dillon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Agnes Joseph Madeline Dillon Template:Birth date Cricklewood, London, England |
| Died | April 4, 1993 (aged 90) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, bookseller |
| Known for | Founder of Dillons Booksellers |
Agnes Joseph Madeline Dillon (8 January 1903 – 4 April 1993), widely recognized as Una Dillon, was a British entrepreneur in the book retail industry and the originator of Dillons Booksellers.
Life
Una was born in Cricklewood to Teresa and Joseph Thomas Dillon, part of a Catholic household that valued academic achievement, among six siblings. Her early career included managing books for a charity now called Mind. Encouraged by her family’s financial backing, she ventured into the bookselling business by acquiring a shop she identified as having promising potential.
In 1936, Dillon established the inaugural Dillons Booksellers store on Gower Street, situated close to University College London. She played an active role in growing the enterprise, even personally delivering orders by bicycle within an eight-hour timeframe. The bookstore flourished and attracted notable patrons such as poet John Betjeman and author C. Day Lewis.
By 1956, Una sold a controlling interest in her company to the University of London, while maintaining ownership of her personal name rights. She stepped away from the business in 1968.
Una lived for many years in Kensington alongside her sisters, none of whom married. Tess headed the physics department at Queen Elizabeth College, and Carmen gained acclaim as an Oscar-winning production designer for the 1948 Olivier adaptation of Hamlet. Una relocated to Hove in 1985 and died in 1993; Carmen passed away in 2000.