Newspaper Article

Obituary: Frances Lincoln: A much-loved independent publisher, she brought originality, literary flair and commercial wisdom to the world of books

Mark Girouard Erica Hunningher

2001

Overview

The black and red outfit she wore for the occasion was far from typical. [Frances Elisabeth Rosemary Lincoln], who has died aged 55, was usually dramatically self- effacing. Her voice was precise, but very soft and low, her clothes inconspicuous, though often expensive. Her skirts were long, and so was the hair, partly concealing her face, which was further hidden by broad-brimmed hats and large round glasses, usually dark. From behind this protective screen emerged her gentle little voice - not all that often, for she was never talkative. Frances was born the eldest of two children of liberal, middle- class Hampstead parents. Her father had been a clever grammar-school boy, her mother's immediate forebears included a Ceylon tea-planter and a Manchester solicitor. The family moved to Hertfordshire, and she went unhappily to school in Bedford. After a year, she moved to St George's, Harpenden, a co-educational boarding school, where she was fulfilled and successful, and ended up as head girl. Erica Hunningher writes: Frances Lincoln became a colleague and friend in 1970, when we were assistant editors at Studio Vista. I joined the company that bore her name in 1987, and worked for her for 11 years. She was a dedicated and inspired publisher, a pioneer with a grasp on life that was reflected in the illustrated books that her independent company produced over 24 years.

• Publisher: Guardian News & Media Limited
• Subject: Deaths / Lincoln, Frances / Publishing