Press Release

Hachette Livre UK announces the formation of the Hachette Book Group Ireland10/12/2007

Hachette Livre UK today announced that, as from 1st January 2008, Hodder Headline Ireland and Little, Brown Ireland will join together to form a new enlarged company to be called the Hachette Book Group Ireland.

Breda Purdue, currently Managing Director of Hodder Headline Ireland will be Group Managing Director (Publishing and PR) and Jim Binchy, currently Sales and Marketing Director, Ireland and Asia Pacific for Little, Brown will be Group Managing Director (Sales and Marketing).

The amalgamation of  these very successful and well established companies under two of the most respected figures in the book trade in Ireland will enhance an already first class sales and marketing operation for the Hachette Livre UK companies and develop the outstanding local publishing established by Hodder Headline Ireland under a new imprint, Hachette Books Ireland.

Publishing and PR

Breda Purdue will be responsible for Group publishing and PR and will maintain her responsibility for the Irish list and Hachette Children’s books, Headline, Hodder & Stoughton and John Murray.

The Hachette Books Ireland editorial team will be:

  • Ciara Considine, Senior Editor
  • Claire Rourke, Senior Editor
  • Ciara Doorley, Editorial Manager

This year to date, Hodder Headline Ireland titles have spent 17 weeks in the top five bestsellers in Ireland including the top 3 titles in this week’s paperback fiction bestseller list. The editorial team will build on this success to develop and expand the list as Hachette Books Ireland.

Margaret Daly, currently PR Manager for Little, Brown will take on PR responsibility for the wider Group reporting to Breda.  Margaret has a great reputation in PR and her expertise will be an enormous benefit to the wider Group.

Plunkett Communication, which has managed a number of excellent campaigns for Hodder Headline over the years, will continue to work on selected projects for HBGI.

Sales and Marketing

Jim Binchy will be responsible for overall Group sales, marketing and operational issues retaining his existing responsibilities for the Little, Brown Book Group and including the Octopus Publishing Group and other Hachette Group companies.

Hachette Children’s Books, Headline, Hodder and Stoughton, John Murray and the Little, Brown Book Group will be represented by the Hachette Book Group Ireland from 1st January 2008. The Octopus Publishing Group will join the new Group during 2008.  Each company will have dedicated sales management, publicity, marketing and product representation.

The Orion Publishing Group will, for the foreseeable future, remain with its existing distributor, Gill Hess Associates.

The Group sales and marketing team will consist of:

  • Ruth Shern, Group Sales Manager with particular responsibility for Octopus
  • Siobhan Tierney, Group Sales Manager with particular responsibility for Hachette Children’s Books
  • John McMahon, Sales Agent, Northern Ireland
  • Peter McNulty, Commercial Manager

The Hachette Book Group Ireland will be the largest publishing group in Ireland.  It brings together Hachette Livre’s UK and Irish publishing activities in a way which will provide unparalleled strength in the Irish market.

Martin Neild, who becomes Chairman of the board of Hachette Book Group Ireland, says:
“Breda, Jim and our Irish team are absolutely the best.  I am delighted that we have been able to bring them together in a way which will provide the best possible service for all our agents, authors and booksellers in Ireland.”

Breda Purdue says:
“This is an incredibly exciting development for us all.  I am very much looking forward to working with Jim to make HBGI the biggest and most successful publisher and sales and marketing organisation in Ireland.”

Jim Binchy says:
“This new venture will mark an incredible time in the Irish Book Trade. HBGI will undoubtedly be the most successful publisher and sales organisation in Ireland, as the knowledge and experience of the people therein is second to none.  It will be terrific working with Breda, and the rest of the team, I know how highly respected they are within the trade, and together we will make HBGI the success it so richly deserves to be.”

For further information, contact Clare Harington, Head of Group Communications on +44 (0)207 6108 clare.harington@hachette-livre.co.uk , or Margaret Daly on +353 87 2568833 margaret.daly@littlebrown.co.uk