1. James Almand Haynes was an American-born figure in the British 1950s-60s counterculture, beginning in Edinburgh, Scotland with the opening of The Paperback bookshop in 1959.
13 Facts About Jim Haynes
1. 2.
Jim Haynes was a co-founder of Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, The Howff, and a co-producer of the 1962 Edinburgh Writers and 1964 Drama conferences.
3.
In 1956, Jim Haynes served in the United States Air Force and was stationed in Kirknewton, West Lothian, Scotland, and decided to stay after his service ended.
4.
Jim Haynes attended some classes at the University of Edinburgh and, among other writing and musical activities, helped to found the Traverse Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe via his bookshop 'The Paperbacl'.
5.
Jim Haynes opened the Paperback Bookshop in George Square in 1959, which is documented as "Britain's first paperback-only bookshop".
6.
In 1962, Jim Haynes co-produced the Edinburgh Writer's Conference with John Calder and Sonia Orwell.
7.
In 1966 Jim Haynes relocated to London, in the middle of the "Swinging Sixties".
8.
In September 1967 Jim Haynes co-founded the Drury Lane Arts Lab space for mixed-media, which closed in late 1969.
9.
Jim Haynes published an irregular newsletter about his life and times.
10.
In Paris, Jim Haynes held a weekly open house dinner party beginning in 1978; at the time of his death he was estimated to have hosted over 130,000 to 150,000 people for the Sunday dinners.
11.
Jim Haynes had a heart attack in August 2011 on his way from Paris to the Edinburgh Festival, but he recovered.
12.
In 2018 Jim Haynes was awarded an honorary PhD from Edinburgh Napier University.
13.
Jim Haynes died in his sleep in Paris on 6 January 2021.