Ivan Chambers

Early life

Chambers was born in 1902 in Philippopolis, Bulgaria. His father worked in the finance department of a silk-spinning factory. He moved to London, England as a child and attended St George's Roman Catholic School in Walthamstow. His interest in books was prompted by an infection of polio at the age of five, which forced him to spend a lot of time lying down. This illness permanently damaged both of his arms, and also affected his confidence. When he was 14, he left school and began working for an import/export business as a translator.

Career

In 1925, Chambers was employed by W. J. Bryce's bookshop in Holborn, London. He continued working for the bookshop when it relocated to a building owned by publisher Sir Stanley Unwin in Museum Street.

During the Second World War, when business at the shop was slow, Chambers provided the British Red Cross with packages of books to send to prisoners of war.

The business was later bought by Bowes and Bowes. He retired from the business in 1971. The Society of Bookmen, of which Chambers had been a member since 1936, gave a lunch in his honour at the Criterion Restaurant, which was attended by 140 colleagues and friends.

Chambers grew in confidence during his career, and became a popular public speaker. He also served on the executive of the National Book Council and acted as Chairman of the London branch of the Booksellers Association.

Personal life

Chambers married Kathleen Pilsbury, a painter, in 1943. They had one daughter. Chambers had been baptised into the Orthodox Church as a child, but was not religious later in life.

Chambers had a particular interest in writings from Scandinavia and the Orkney Islands. He was friends with George Mackay Brown, the Scottish poet.

When he retired, Chambers moved to Axminster in Devon, where he volunteered at Axminster Museum. He died on New Year's Day, 1998.