THE BOOKSELLER ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE | 03
MACMILLAN: 175 YEARS OF PUBLISHING
175 years ago, two Scottish brothers, aged 30 and 25 respectively, sons of crofters, with few funds and very little formal education, succeeded in publishing their first two books, against all the odds. In their words, they ‘planted the seed’ of a brand new publishing company, which now trades in over 120 countries around the world
Daniel and Alexander Macmillan brought strong character and a clear sense of purpose to their project: The company was founded on the brothers’ belief in the joy of reading and on their sense of moral duty to society. Their personal experience convinced them of the capacity of books and reading to improve people’s lives; the brothers also brought independence of mind, humility and a
canny approach to their business. They experimented from the outset with new book formats, nurtured new authors and launched innovative new ventures. By the 1860s they were the publishers of some of the greatest writers of their time—including Lewis Carroll, Millicent Fawcett, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, Christina Rossetti and Alfred Lord Tennyson—and their success was thanks in large part to the relationships they built with authors, booksellers, colleagues and readers. The creative, open and outward-facing spirit of the founding brothers remains at the heart of the company today and is evident in the emphasis we continue to place on the quality of our relationships with all our key stakeholders.
I am proud to introduce this anniversary brochure, which features some of the treasures from the Macmillan archive; together with an interview with our bestselling and much loved author Joanna Trollope; some words from my colleagues; and highlights from our publishing programme for this anniversary year. Macmillan started as a family venture and remains privately owned: for 175 years the company has made available books and writing of the highest quality in many formats to people of all ages everywhere, and has enriched countless lives in the process. We all look forward to continuing to build on what the Macmillan brothers started, and to be able to do so for many more years to come.
Anthony Forbes Watson, Managing Director, Pan Macmillan
THE CREATIVE, OPEN AND OUTWARD-FACING
SPIRIT OF THE FOUNDING BROTHERS REMAINS AT THE HEART OF THE COMPANY TODAY
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