Naim Attallah


Naim Ibrahim Attallah was a Palestinian-British businessman and writer. He was the publisher of Quartet Books and the owner of The Women's Press. The Palestinian-born entrepreneur was described by The Guardian in 2000 as a "legendary adorer of beautiful women".
Attallah was born in the British Mandate of Palestine in 1931 to a Catholic family. He was the owner of the publishing house Quartet Books, which was founded in 1972 by Ken Banerji, John Boothe, William Miller and Brian Thompson, and taken over by Attallah in 1976. Attallah was a backer of the Literary Review and The Oldie. He was also the owner of the London-based The Women's Press, established in 1977; it was founded by him and Stephanie Dowrick.
In 1990, he became joint managing director of jewellers, Asprey. In 1992, he became group chief executive.
Attallah's book of memoirs, Fulfilment and Betrayal: 1975–1995, was published in 2007. According to Jennie Erdal's 2005 memoir Ghosting, she was the ghostwriter of “speeches, newspaper articles, a dozen works of nonfiction and two novels” in addition to “hundreds of letters” The last part of her book’s dedication states that he “inspired this story and allowed it to be told.”
Attallah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to literature and the arts.
Attallah died in his sleep on 2 February 2021, after contracting COVID-19.

Books

  • Fulfilment and Betrayal: 1975–1995, Quartet Books, 2007,
  • In Touch with his Roots, Quartet Books, 2006,
  • The Boy in England, Quartet Books, 2005,
  • The Old Ladies of Nazareth, London: Quartet Books, 2004,
  • Dialogues, Quartet Books, 2000,
  • Insights, Quartet Books, 1999,
  • In Conversation with Naim Attallah, London: Quartet Books, 1998,
  • A Woman a Week, Quartet Books, 1998,
  • Tara and Claire, Quartet Books, 1997,
  • Asking Questions: An Anthology of Interviews with Naim Attallah, 1996,
  • A Timeless Passion, Quartet Books, 1995,
  • Speaking for the Oldie, Quartet Books, 1994,
  • More of a Certain Age, Quartet Books, 1994,
  • Of a Certain Age, Quartet Books, 1993,
  • Singular Encounters, Quartet Books, 1992,
  • Women, Quartet Books, 1988,