Following an early career in the merchant navy, Bob Sessions completed a 'publishing apprenticeship' at Hutchinson and Co in London before travelling overland in 1962 to Australia where he accepted a position at Cassell Australia, becoming that company's inaugural editor. Seven years later, in 1971, he was appointed John Hooker's right-hand editor at Penguin Australia, leaving in 1976 to follow John Michie to Nelson. (Dutton, A Rare Bird, 1996, p. 90-91)
In 1987, Sessions sold his independent company Robert Sessions Publishing to Penguin, and rejoined Penguin Australia as the publisher of the Viking O'Neil imprint. (p. 279)
Sessions has been 'publishing director of Penguin Group Australia and has spent forty years in the Australian book trade. His work in encouraging award-winning children's authors such as Graeme Base has been widely acknowledged.' (Paper Empires, 2006, p. 390).
