D. G. Hessayon

Last updated

D. G. Hessayon
Born
David Gerald Hessayon

(1928-02-13) February 13, 1928 (age 94)
Manchester
Nationality British
OccupationAuthor, botanist
Known for"Expert Guides"
Children2

David Gerald Hessayon OBE (born 1928) is a British author and botanist of Cypriot descent who is known for a best-selling series of paperback gardening manuals known as the "Expert Guides" under his title Dr. D. G. Hessayon. The series started in 1958 with Be Your Own Gardening Expert and in 2008 it celebrated its 50th anniversary and the 50 millionth copy in print. [1] They have become the best selling gardening books in history. [2]

Contents

Early life

Hessayon is the son of a Cypriot landowner and grew up in Salford, Lancashire, England. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree in botany from Leeds University. In 1950, he travelled to the United States where he worked as the editor of a small town newspaper. In 1953, he went to the Gold Coast as a Research Fellow at the University College before returning to Manchester to obtain his doctorate in soil ecology. In 1955, he accepted a position as chief scientist with Pan Britannica Industries Ltd (PBI), becoming chairman in 1972. It was whilst working for PBI that Dr. Hessayon formulated the idea for his "Expert" guides to gardening.

The "Expert" guides

A steady stream of publications followed the initial Be Your Own Gardening Expert, each maintaining the basic formula of down-to-earth writing broken up into short sections with headers, and illustrated with what were at the time lavish numbers of colour photographs, graphic images and charts. In later editions the Be Your Own ...Expert titles were changed to The ... Expert. On the British bestsellers list for the 1980s, two Experts were in the Top 10. There are (as of 2009) over 20 "Expert" titles in 22 languages and in Britain their sales continue to dominate the gardening paperback lists. [3] The Vegetable & Herb Expert [4] continues to be the best seller.

I would say that the Expert Books have been the biggest innovation in gardening publications since the death of William Robinson in 1938[ verification needed ]

Dr. Brent Elliott, Librarian, Royal Horticultural Society, [5]

Recognition

In 1993, Hessayon received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement award at the British Book Awards. He was also awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1992 for his contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture. In 1999, he was awarded a Guinness World Records certificate for being Britain's "bestselling non-fiction author of the 1990s".[ citation needed ]

Despite a resolve to stay out of the limelight, [6] Hessayon has received further awards - a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Garden Media Guild, [7] three honorary doctorates [8] and, in 2007, an OBE.

Bibliography

Since 1959, Hessayon has written many books.

Other books by the author
TitleYear publishedISBN
Potato Growers Handbook (with P G Fenemore)1961
Silage Makers' Handbook (with Christopher Hugh Wood)1962
The Garden Book of Europe1973 ISBN   0241023866
The Armchair Book of the Garden1983 ISBN   0712602348
The Bio Friendly Gardening Guide1990 ISBN   0903505339
The Bedside Book of the Garden2008 ISBN   9780903505697
Cover of 1959 Be your own Gardening Expert Cover 1959 Expert.jpg
Cover of 1959 Be your own Gardening Expert
Expert series of books
TitleYear publishedISBN
Be your own Gardening Expert 1959
Be your own Gardening Expert (republished)1961
Be your own Gardening Expert1959
Be your own Gardening Expert (republished)1961
Be your own House Plant Expert1961
Be your own House Plant Expert (revised)1967
Be your own Lawn Expert1961
Be your own Lawn Expert (revised)1968
Be your own Rose Expert (with Harry Wheatcroft)1965
Vegetable Plotter 1976 ISBN   0903505061
Be your own House Plant Spotter (with J. P. Hessayon)1977 ISBN   090350507X
Be your own Vegetable Doctor 1978 ISBN   0903505088
Be your own Garden Doctor 1978 ISBN   0903505096
The House Plant Expert 1980 ISBN   0903505134
The Rose Expert 1981 ISBN   0903505142
The Cereal Disease Expert 1982 ISBN   0903505169
The Lawn Expert 1982 ISBN   0903505150
The Lawn Expert (reprinted)1988 ISBN   0903505150
The Lawn Expert (reprinted)1990 ISBN   0903505150
The Tree & Shrub Expert1983 ISBN   0903505177
The Tree & Shrub Expert (reprinted)1992 ISBN   0903505177
The Tree & Shrub Expert (reprinted)1994 ISBN   0903505177
The Tree & Shrub Expert (reprinted)2012 ISBN   9780903505178
The Flower Expert 1984 ISBN   0903505193
The Flower Expert (reprinted)1994 ISBN   0903505193
The Indoor Plant Spotter 1985 ISBN   0903505215
The Garden Expert 1986 ISBN   0903505223
The Garden Expert (reprinted)1997 ISBN   0903505223
The Gold-Plated House Plant Expert 1987 ISBN   0712616985
The Home Expert 1987 ISBN   090350524X
Rose Jotter 1989 ISBN   0903505274
Vegetable Jotter 1989 ISBN   0903505282
Be your own Greenhouse Expert 1990 ISBN   0903505320
The Bedding Plant Expert 1991 ISBN   0903505347
The Bedding Plant Expert (reprinted)1995 ISBN   0903505347
The New House Plant Expert 1991 ISBN   0903505355
The Vegetable Expert 1985 ISBN   0903505207
The Vegetable Expert (reprinted)1993 ISBN   0903505207
The Garden DIY Expert 1992 ISBN   0903505371
The Rock & Water Garden Expert 1993 ISBN   090350538X
The Flower Arranging Expert1994 ISBN   090350541X
The Flowering Shrub Expert 1994 ISBN   0903505398
The Greenhouse Expert 1994 ISBN   0903505401
The Bulb Expert 1995 ISBN   0903505428
The Container Expert 1995 ISBN   0903505436
The Container Expert (reprinted)1998 ISBN   0903505436
The Easy-care Garden Expert 1996 ISBN   0903505444
The New Rose Expert 1996 ISBN   0903505479
The New Bedding Plant Expert1996 ISBN   0903505452
The New Lawn Expert 1997 ISBN   0903505487
The New Vegetable & Herb Expert1997 ISBN   0903505460
The New Vegetable & Herb Expert (revised)2014 ISBN   9780903505758
The Evergreen Expert 1998 ISBN   0903505517
The New Flower Expert 1999 ISBN   0903505525
The Pocket Flower Expert 2001 ISBN   090350555X
The Pocket Garden Troubles Expert 2001 ISBN   0903505541
The Pocket Tree & Shrub Expert 2001 ISBN   0903505568
The Pocket House Plant Expert 2002 ISBN   0903505592
The Pocket Vegetable Expert 2002 ISBN   0903505576
The Home DIY Expert 2003 ISBN   0903505584
The Fruit Expert1990 ISBN   0903505312
The Fruit Expert (reprinted)2003 ISBN   0903505312
The Garden Revival Expert 2004 ISBN   0903505606
The House Plant Expert - Book Two 2005 ISBN   0903505614
The Pest and Weed Expert 2007 ISBN   9780903505628
The Orchid Expert 2008 ISBN   9780903505673
The Orchid Expert (republished)2010 ISBN   9780903505673
The Green Garden Expert 2009 ISBN   9780903505635
The Expert Vegetable Notebook 2009 ISBN   9780903505765
The Best of Experts 2010 ISBN   9780903505932
The Garden to Kitchen Expert (Judith Wills with D.G. Hessayon)2011 ISBN   9780903505925
The Complete Garden Expert 2012 ISBN   9780903505987
The Indoor Plant & Flower Expert 2013 ISBN   9781909663008
The New Fruit Expert 2015 ISBN   9780903505741

Notes

  1. "booktrade.info - Book Trade Announcements - Expert Books Celebrates Its First 50 Years Of Publishing". Archived from the original on 16 September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
  2. theBookseller.com Archived 2010-07-12 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Transworld Archived 2008-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Amazon.co.uk: Vegetable and Herb Expert: D.G. Hessayon: Books
  5. YOU'RE BOOKED! | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNETv
  6. Leader: Raking it in | Books | The Guardian
  7. GWG Awards: Press Room Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  8. David Hessayon | Honorary graduations 2008 | Media | University of Leeds Archived 2009-02-13 at the Wayback Machine

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