Andrew Porter alerts us to the death of specialty publisher Donald M. Grant on 19 August 2009. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, on 3 April 1927, he’d been living in retirement in Florida. (Photos by Andrew Porter; all rights reserved.)
Grant first developed an interest in science fiction/fantasy at the age of 10, reading Edgar Rice Burroughs. He founded several small-press publishers, starting with Grant-Hadley Enterprises (with Thomas G. Hadley) when he was only 18. That company was formed to publish the editors’ 26-page Rhode Island on Lovecraft collection of essays (they printed 500 copies, and then went back to press for another 1,000). When Kenneth J. Krueger joined the company, they changed the name to The Buffalo Book Company. Still later, after Krueger returned to Buffalo and Grant went off to college (the University of Rhode Island, from which he graduated in 1949), Hadley renamed or reformed the company to The Hadley Publishing Company.
In his 40s, Grant again started a small press, this time Centaur Press (later Centaur Books), which published nearly a score of books over twelve years, including works by Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, and William Hope Hodgson.
In 1964, Grant formed his most enduring enterprise: Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc., which is known for publishing lavishly illustrated books for the collectible market (including the bulk of Stephen King’s work, such as his The Dark Tower series).
Grant is survived by his wife, daughter, son, and granddaughter. The Farley Funeral Home has set up a guest/condolences book online, which will be available through 19 September.