PAUL TORJUSSEN

Paul Torjussen and David Love in New York for a ‘Man at C&A’ fashion shoot. Unfortunately the chap to David’s left was so engrossed in proceedings that he hadn’t noticed the oncoming Greyhound bus, whose driver was also distracted by these two fashion icons. It was also blue and white day in New York for reasons we cannot explain…

Paul Torjussen – Publisher Southbank Publishing

Export Sales – Europe – Asia, Far East for Pan Macmillan
MD Taschen UK
Publisher at Southbank

I was born in Kano Nigeria.
I have a Norwegian surname and Welsh parents.
I lived in Yorkshire until I was ten and have lived in the South ever since.

I wanted to travel from an early age and the world of publishing provided that opportunity. I had numerous confused conversations with immigration control who could never quite figure out this unusual background. I’m not quite sure what the Japanese is for, “you’re havin’ a larf mate”, but that general tone of incredulity was ever present.

I was lucky to be at Pan Books at the tail end of one of the all time great publishing dynasties that included, Sony Metha and Simon Master at the helm. The Export Department was also full of big hitters including David Love, Geoff Mulligan, Brian Phillips and the much missed Karl Heinz Petzler. Brian Phillips managed to wipe out my entire memory of a flight home from Malta once…..the last thing I remember was his fourth walk back to our seats to top up my glass from a very large bottle of brandy. I was so grateful to David Love (The Captain) who arranged it so that my first Far East trip would begin in Karachi. I thought the guy who wrestled my case from my hand at the airport had been arranged by David. I realised however as I trundled off down the dust filled dirt track, in the back of a barely operational Vauxhall Viva, that David hadn’t arranged anything. This is how it worked. Moreover his essential advice to sample the local delicacy of Karachi Soup was also advice from a true caring friend who insisted that I sampled as much ‘impact cuisine’ as possible. It was great…but…! It just so happened that after yet another dispute between India and Pakistan our plane was impounded just off the runway at Bombay airport (as it was known at that time)….and my luggage with everything else, was stranded there for three days. Meanwhile, whilst enjoying the opulent linen sheets in the Bombay Oberoi the soup made another appearance…so powerful it created its own exclusive exit and if anyone has seen the breakfast bed sheet debacle scene in Trainspotting….this was worse, much worse.

Setting up Taschen UK in 1994 with a great team of people was also a privilege to be a part of. This was the start of an exhilarating nine year period working for ‘probably’ one of the finest publishers this planet has ever produced.

In 2004 Ion Mills and myself set up Southbank Publishing. I first met Ion in 1983 when he also worked for Pan Books and later became a successful independent publisher.

email : paul@southbankpublishing.com