Calder, Liz (1938–)
Calder, Liz (1938–)
English publisher. Name variations: Elizabeth Calder, Liz Baber. Born Elizabeth Nicole Baber in 1938 in London, England; attended Canterbury University, New Zealand; m. Richard Calder (engineer), 1958 (div. 1972).
Co-founder of publishing empire Bloomsbury Plc., one of the few women at top of the publishing profession, was raised in New Zealand; moved to England and taught in Derby; when husband was posted in Brazil, worked as a fashion model there (1964–68); returned to England and managed publicity department at Victor Gollancz (1971–74), where she later served as editorial director (1975–78); joined firm of Jonathan Cape, again serving as editorial director (1979–86); promoted such authors as Julian Barnes, Anita Brookner and Bruce Chatwin and nurtured prize-winning author Salman Rushdie; joined with Nigel Newton to become one of 4 cofounders of Bloomsbury Plc. Publishing (1986), serving as publishing director; known as the "Queen of Literature," has helped establish many prominent authors, including Isabel Allende and Margaret Atwood, and her books have won almost every major award including the Booker, Pulitzer, Whitbread and Nobel Prize; maintains a house in Brazil, where she has organized a literary festival in the resort town of Parati, with the goal of raising the profile of Brazilian authors.