Michael O’Mara picks up Paterson’s history of the Horniman family

Michael O’Mara Books has signed documentarian Clare Paterson’s “riveting tale of the rise and fall of the extraordinary family” behind the famous Horniman Museum in south London, her début book.

World English rights to Mr Horniman’s Walrus: Legacies of a Remarkable Victorian Family were acquired by senior commissioning editor Jo Stansall from Clare Grist Taylor at The Accidental Agency, for publication on 29th September 2022. 

According to the publisher, the book explores the lives and loves of the eccentric family – a story of philanthropy, intrigue and passion across three generations, from tea merchant John Horniman to his son Frederick and extraordinary granddaughter, theatre impresario and occultist Annie Horniman. 

Paterson, previously a trustee of the Horniman Museum for 12 years, said: “In the 1820s John Horniman established the tea company that bore his name, which went on to become one of the best-known brands of 19th-century Britain.

“His son Frederick created the eclectic, wonderful Horniman Museum in London, and John’s granddaughter Annie was a leading member of the Golden Dawn and, along with W B Yeats and others founded Ireland’s national theatre, the Abbey. I’m delighted to share this story of a family embodying the high point of Victorian entrepreneurialism and the changing middle-class attitudes ushered in by the Edwardian age.” 

Stansall said she was blown away by Paterson’s writing from the first chapter of what she calls her “amazing” début. “She reveals the Hornimans to us with such skill and affection, and completely draws us into their lives as they each struggle to make their mark and pursue their ambitions during a fascinating time in British history,” she said.  

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is currently shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award 2022. Facing competition from four other museums across the UK for the prestigious prize, the winner will be announced on 14th July.