The publishing and media ethics world mourns the loss of Hugh Nowell, a respected senior figure at Grosvenor Books and a co-founder of the International Communications Forum, who has died at the age of 98.
A Life Dedicated to Publishing and Moral Values
Hugh Nowell was a cornerstone of Grosvenor Books, a publishing house linked to the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement, for the majority of his career. He helped establish the firm in the early 1960s and remained there until his retirement in 1997, aged 70. During his tenure, he held the pivotal roles of joint chief executive and later managing director.
Under his leadership, Grosvenor Books published a diverse range of titles, including both Christian and secular children's books and magazines. One of its most notable successes was Listen to the Children by Annejet Campbell, a book on family life that achieved international reach, being published in 11 different languages.
Early Influences and Formative Years
Born in Runcorn, Cheshire, Hugh was the son of John, who managed the family tannery, and Margaret (née Vanes). His mother had a fascinating pre-marital life, having worked as a private tutor for the children of the Maharaja of Bangalore in India, the country of her birth.
His parents were deeply involved with the Oxford Group, also known as the Moral Re-Armament movement, which profoundly shaped Hugh's own path. He described having a "significant conversation" at the age of 13 that solidified his Christian faith, which was further nurtured at Kingswood School, a Methodist institution evacuated to Uppingham during World War II.
While studying chemistry at Queen's College, Oxford from 1945 to 1949, he met daily with fellow student members of the Oxford Group. His dedication was such that in his second year, he cycled to Paris and hitchhiked to Switzerland to attend the opening of the group's international centre in Caux.
Building a Legacy in Media Ethics
Upon graduating, Hugh chose to work with the Oxford Group full-time instead of joining the family business. For the next 14 years, he volunteered for the MRA in various roles, supported by contributions from well-wishers.
In 1963, his path took a definitive turn when a colleague asked him to manage the publishing and marketing of MRA's literature, leading directly to the launch of Grosvenor Books that same year. Beyond his publishing work, Hugh, together with his friend Bill Porter, co-founded the International Communications Forum in 1971. This media ethics thinktank was established with the explicit aim of bringing moral values to the publishing industry.
In his personal life, Hugh married Carolyn Crary, a fellow MRA volunteer from California whom he met at Caux, in 1957. She passed away in 2022. Hugh Nowell is survived by their two sons, John and Kent.
