Blackwood (publishing house) Gerald Porter. Blackwood (publishing house) William Blackwood and Sons was a Scottish publishing house and printer founded by William Blackwood in 1804. It played a key role in literary history, publishing many important authors, for example John Buchan, George Tomkyns Chesney, Joseph Conrad, George Eliot, E. M. Forster, John Galt, Thomas de Quincey, Charles Reade, Margaret Oliphant, John Hanning Speke and Anthony Trollope, both in books and in the monthly "Blackwood’s Magazine". In 1804 William Blackwood opened a shop in South Bridge Street, Edinburgh, for the sale of old, rare and curious books. He undertook the Scottish agency for John
Douglas Blackwood which bore his name. He remained chairman of the publishing house until 1983. His biographer, Trevor Royle noted that Blackwood, being shy, could appear remote or aloof, although he was considered "a kindly man who wore his learning lightly". He was most comfortable in military company and never courted literary or political society. He had little literary pretension - when a reviewer asked if he had known George Orwell at Eton - he was six years his junior there and at St Cyprian's - Blackwood replied, "Oh, Blair, yes I remember him, he had a motor-bicycle." However Blackwood's dismissive comment