Season 40 · Episode 5

The South Bank Show: Gail Rebuck

Gail Rebuck has been the most powerful woman in British publishing for three decades, holding the posts of Chief Executive and Chair of Random House UK for 22 years. A trailblazer for women in British publishing, she was not yet 30 when she was invited to become a founding director of Century Publishing. Noted not just for her commercial flair, she has also nurtured the careers of many authors as well as helping Random House UK (now Penguin Random House UK) to prosper in the new digital economy. Melvyn charts Gail's life and achievements while also considering the various revolutions which have taken place in the publishing world during her career, not least for women in the industry. The show also includes contributions from Nigella Lawson and Robert Harris.