David Peters, the well-known independent publisher on both sides of the Atlantic, died of cancer at his home in the U.K on June 22. He was 66.
After holding a variety of positions at Hodder & Stoughton, Reed International Books, and Osprey, Peters, along with Anne Ryland and Jacqui Small, cofounded Ryland Peters & Small (RPS) in 1996. The London-based publisher specializes in illustrated lifestyle books for adults and children, as well as gift and stationery items. It had an immediate hit with Jane Cumberbatch's 1996 book Pure Style and a big bestseller with The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook by Malouf Tarek, published in 2009.
In addition to being a co-owner and cofounder of RPS, Peters was also its managing director. In announcing his death, RPS pointed to Peters’s longstanding relationships with publishing professionals around the globe and said, “his legacy will be carried on through his loyal staff and partners through our future publishing list.”
RPS’s titles are distributed in the U.S. by Simon & Schuster and in Canada by Firefly Books.
