Today Dawson Books runs a modern highly automated operation at its Northamptonshire headquarters yet has its origins in the late eighteenth century. William Dawson was originally apprenticed to the famous London printer John Nichols before opening his own news agency in Cannon Street in 1809. Expansion into France in the 1820’s and diversification into news distribution and periodical subscriptions in the 1890’s culminated in the creation of Surridge Dawson in 1933.

John & Edward Bumpus were renowned booksellers of the 1790’s whose bookselling legacy evolved into a flagship bookshop at 350 Oxford Street whose customers included the Prince of Wales and Lawrence of Arabia. In 1991 Surridge Dawson acquired the library supply division of Bumpus from the late Robert Maxwell and the two enterprises of ancient pedigree formed the core of Dawson Books as it is today.

Other well-known names in bookselling – Stevens & Brown, Seabrook and Armstrong – joined the stable in the 70’s and 80’s, while peripheral activities – antiquarian bookselling and periodical subscriptions – were divested in the 90’s.

Dawson was quick to embrace new technologies with the introduction of its first computer in 1972 and has continued to invest in and develop interactive automation to this day.