Paul Ollendorff

Paul Ollendorff (24 February 1851– 15 December 1920) was a French publisher and bookseller. He was particularly active in the last years of the 19th century, publishing works by notable French authors such as Guy de Maupassant, Octave Mirbeau, and Jules Renard. His publishing firm was one of the foremost French literary publishing houses of the 1880s and 1890s

Ollendorff made a fortune over the next decade by publishing popular literature: melodramas, sentimental or adventure stories, vaudevilles, and dime novels published as serials in newspapers. His catalogues promoted these works as "distrayants" ("entertaining") et "consolateurs" ("comforting").

Ollendorff's first major publishing success was Georges Ohnet's Le Maître de forges (1882) which the publisher reprinted 162 times after its first publication. ) but this bestseller was undeniably popular among its middle class readers.

Ohlendorff then published a dozen works by Guy de Maupassant including the short story "Le Horla" (1887), the first novels by Octave Mirbeau, the first five books by Alphonse Allais, and books by such authors as Paul Adam, Jean Lorrain, Paul Féval, fils, Abel Hermant, Willy, Jules Renard and Fernand Vandérem.

In 1898, building on his success, Ollendorff took on several partners, changed the name of La Librairie Ollendorff to the Société d'éditions littéraires et artistiques (Literary and Artistic Publishing Company), which now had shareholders, an administrator, and a manager. Romain Rolland and Marcelle Capy. The cover designs of many of the firm's works during these Belle Époque years included Art Nouveau illustrations and decorations.

In 1899 and 1900, he published the illustrated edition of Maupassant's complete works, with wood engravings by Georges Lemoine.

In 1902 Ollendorff launched a new hardcover book series titled the "Romans populaires illustrés" (English, "illustrated popular novels") priced at 3.50 francs per volume. (English, "I may be as thick as two short planks, but I cannot understand how a gentleman can spend thirty pages describing how he tosses and turns in his bed before falling asleep"). These volumes were also refused publication by Fasquelle and the Nouvelle Revue Française before finally being published by Grasset.

Personal life Paul Ollendorff was the maternal grandfather of Gilbert Grandval, a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War and later a minister in the government of General Charles de Gaulle.

In 1910 Ollendorff was living at 55, rue d’Amsterdam, Paris 9e. He died on 15 December 1920 in Choisy-au-Bac, France.

Awards 1889: Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur including: Collection des conteurs joyeux Les grands romans à 1 F. Les grands romans étrangers Veladas del hogar Nouvelle collection artistique Œuvres complètes illustrées de Guy de Maupassant Le Roman d'aujourd'hui Le Roman d'aventures Le Roman de mer et d'outre mer Le Roman de sport Romans populaires illustrés