The Bookseller 150 is sponsored by Mosaic Executive Search
Kevin Duffy Bluemoose Books Co-founder
New Entry
Long before the term “Northern Powerhouse” was coined, Duffy was flying the flag for regional publishing
from his Hebden Bridge HQ. And he has consistently shown that you do not have to be London-based to make a huge impact. This year, débutant Rónán Hession’s Leonard and Hungry Paul has been a hit heralded by Foyles and featured for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. In 2020, all of Bluemoose’s titles will be from women authors aged 45-plus, and it will launch a creative writing school.
David Fickling David Fickling Books Founder and publisher
New Entry
Six years on from launching his kids’ indie, Fickling’s DFB is purring. The 2019 highlight has been the second in the Book of
Dust series by Philip Pullman (whom Fickling has edited since Pullman’s début), co-published with PRH. But it is not all Lyra Belacqua—Lissa Evans’ sales continue to rise (her Small Change for Stuart was Carnegie and Costa short- listed), while Chris Wormell is on the verge of a breakout. DFB will be bolstered in the new year by the arrival of ex-OUP Children’s publisher Liz Cross.
Anthony Forbes Watson Pan Macmillan Managing director
Green Ever
A transformational year in many ways for Forbes Watson’s Pan Mac—it moved into shiny new digs in
Clerkenwell and is currently firing on all cylinders: it will obliterate its record reve- nue, achieved in 2016. Pinch of Nom racked up sales of £11m, Adam Kay is still going strong and Elton John’s memoir is rocketing. Children’s stalwarts Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and Rod Campbell are hugely important, and a surging Ann Cleeves and Kate Mosse have also brought in strong returns.
Helen Kogan Kogan Page Managing director
New Entry
It has been one of the best 12-month periods in the busi- ness books indie’s 52 years under Kogan’s assured leader-
ship. Highlights in 2019 include claiming two gongs at the Independent Publishers Guild Awards: one for Academic & Professional Publisher of the Year and another for International Achievement. The awards partially come as a result of its recent successful launches, such as its audio list, professional development online courses, and the Kogan Page Inspire imprint.
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Ruth Gill Gill
Chief executive officer
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Ruth Gill is the sixth generation to head the family business, Ireland’s biggest publisher, which has the triple threat of
trade, education and distribution divi- sions. Education has historically been the driver—around 60% of its revenue comes from its schools business—but the trade list has been booming in the past couple of years, led by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen’s ongoing Aisling phenom- enon. Other 2019 hits came from the comedian Blindboy Boatclub and Luke O’Neill’s The Great Irish Science Book.
C K Lau Quarto Chief executive officer
New Entry
Lau is making progress after taking the reins in a board- room putsch. The firm posted “encouraging” half-year results
in August, with global revenues nudging up to $56.4m. Children’s, especially the Little People, Big Dreams series, is a big hit, although the adult market, particu- larly coeditions, is still challenging. But changes are afoot with Pavilion’s Polly Powell coming in on an advisory role, and imprints Aurum and Frances Lincoln being revived after merging into White Lion under the previous regime.
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John Fallon Pearson Chief executive officer
Green Ever
The educational publishing giant’s 175th year was a bit challenging, as it continues its digital transformation. As well
as dealing with protests from sharehold- ers at the firm’s a.g.m., and a data breach of 13,000 student accounts, a Q3 trading update reported a “weaker than expected” performance in its US Higher Education courseware business. Fallon said the company, which is moving away from print to embrace a digital strategy, still expects revenue to “stabilise” and begin to grow again in 2020.
Oliver Gadsby Rowman & Littlefield International Chief executive officer
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Gadsby and his team have quickly built RLI into a formi- dable force that goes toe-to- toe with academic publishing’s
big boys: after releasing just two titles in the launch year of 2013, it had over 125 frontlist titles in 2019. Revenues and prof- its have been on a consistent upward curve, buoyed by co-publishing deals with think-tanks and academic networks. Strategic partnerships with specialist trade publishers such as Quiller and Casemate have also borne fruit.
Ian Hudson DK
Chief executive officer Ever
Green
After two and half years in the job, there is a sense that DK is now starting to perform how Hudson would want: a
publisher focused on both its home and overseas markets, with author-led books, such as the Anthony Daniels (CP30) memoir mixing it with the famous DK brands and series, such as its Eyewitness guides. Bringing in Rebecca Smart as publishing m.d. was a big statement. Its highest earners through Nielsen have been a bloom of gardening titles, led by Huw Richards’ Veg in One Bed.
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