The View From Here Interview: Barry Cunningham

After an English degree at Cambridge, Barry Cunningham joined Penguin Books in 1977. As Children's Marketing Director for Puffin, he worked with all the great names in children's books including Roald Dahl and Spike Milligan, and was responsible for the re-launch of Beatrix Potter. In 1984 he was promoted to the Penguin Board and became responsible for the marketing of all Penguin Books, a position he held until 1988, when he was headhunted by Random House. In 1994 he was approached by Bloomsbury to set up their first children's book list. Not only was the new list a success, but Barry soon became one of the best known names in publishing after he signed up J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone