Hachette UK to merge children’s divisions

29 September 2014 Books+Publishing

Hachette UK will merge its three children’s divisions into the one business on 1 January 2015, reports the Bookseller. The new Hachette Children’s Group will combine Hachette Children’s Books, Orion Children’s Publishing and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and will be led by current Egmont MD Murray Hill, who is joining Hachette in January, following the retirement of Hachette Children’s Books CEO Marlene Johnson at the end of 2014. The publisher said there would be no redundancies as a result of the merger. ‘Our six current imprints will continue, retaining their identities and their individual strengths under the leadership of their current managing directors and publishers,’ said Hachette CEO Tim Hely Hutchinson. ‘But now … they will be part of a larger talent pool giving each individual imprint greater sales and marketing reach and, collectively, under one management, becoming part of a rich and specialised children’s publishing division.’ The news follows Hachette UK’s announcement in June that it would merge the sales teams from its various imprints. It also follows Penguin Random House UK’s decision in January to merge its children’s divisions.

Category: International news