My grandfather Howard Mudditt was a publisher in the UK. My mum found this newspaper clipping in my dad’s folders and sent it to me (Dad passed away in 2023). This newspaper article was written in 1975 to mark my grandfather’s four decades in the publishing industry.

I love this quote: “Because of television, people are reading less of the entertaining type of fiction, but much more of the more serious material. The increasing seriousness of the times is making people think more. So far as serious books are concerned, I see no reason why they should not increase.”

My dad was adopted, so Howard Mudditt is not my biological grandfather. But it is an enormous coincidence all the same!

During the unemployment of the 1930’s young Howard Mudditt had a job that was literally as safe as the Bank of England. He was a clerk there. 

Had he stuck to his desk he might well have become the Chief of the Bank of England with his signature engraved on the bank’s notes under its promise to pay.

However, the young Mr. Mudditt had other ideas about going into print.

His ambition was to become a publisher of Christian literature. Against the advice of his more cautious friends, he left the bank for the last time at precisely 4 p.m October 31, 1935.

Behind him was a well-paid job with plenty of leisure time, and as friends told him: “A pension at the end of it”

Mr. Muddit has never regretted the move. He is now the chairman of the publishing firm he founded, Paternoster Press of Mount Radford Crescent, Exeter, and has just celebrated his 40th anniversary in the publishing industry.

The year before he left the bank he had started a magazine for children called “Horizon.” That was the first of many publications. Today his firm’s current list contains more than 120 books and three periodicals.

He told me: “I had a thumping good job in the chief cashier’s office. My immediate junior was Leslie O’Brien, who became chief cashier and who recently retired as Sir Leslie O’Brien. Another colleague was Maurice Parsons, now Deputy Governor. A third was V.C. Tong, now retired and living at Budleigh Salterton.

“I believed, however, that Christian publishing was the thing for me, so I just gave notice and left with nothing but the promises of God to back me up – and those have approved better than the Bank of England”

Mr Mudditt began his business in London, and it survived the wartime bombing of its paper store. Twelve years ago he chose to make Exeter his headquarters. His son, Jeremy, now assists him as the production and marketing manager.

Despite hyper-inflation in the printing business- the magazine he produced for £25 in 1934 now cost £500 and will probably cost £600  by next year – he is confident about the future.

“I believe we have passed the really big hump and things are beginning to settle down.” he said

“Because of television, people are reading less of the entertaining type of fiction, but much more of the more serious material.

The increasing seriousness of the times is making people think more.

“So far as serious books are concerned, I see no reason why they should not increase.”

As a token of his faith in the future he is about to publish the largest book Paternostor has ever handled.

Entitled “The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church” it will contain more than 1,250,000 words in 1,184 pages and 5,000 individual articles by a team of 180 internationally – known scholars. It will be edited by Dr. J.D. Douglas, of St. Andrews University, Scotland.