Peter Llewelyn Davies, who was a protege of J. M. Barrie, established a publishing business in London in 1926. Davies and his brother Nico, who also worked in the firm, published mainly biography and popular history. In 1938 Peter Davies bought the Lovat Dickson company, so acquiring a number of popular authors, including P. L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books. Davies was instrumental in bringing Christina Stead's first novels to publication, and Frederic Manning dedicated The Middle Parts of Fortune 'To Peter Davies, who made me write it.'
In 1932 William Heinemann acquired a majority interest in the company, while Davies and his brother retained their editorial independence. Peter Davies died in 1960, Nico Davies resigned in 1968, and in 1977 the company was completely absorbed by Heinemann.
