21.03.02
麻豆社
Worldwide announces new business structure for market leading audio
group
麻豆社
Worldwide, the UK's leading publisher of spoken word audio titles,
has announced its new business structure, which comes into effect
this month. This announcement comes as the company celebrates scooping
top honours at last week's British Book Awards (the Nibbies), with
the success of Alan Bennett's The Laying On of Hands winning
SWPA Audiobook of the Year, and Philip Pullman, The Amber Spyglass,
and JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, both
being shortlisted.
Under
the new structure there will be four distinct but complementary
imprints, all serving different segments of the market:
麻豆社
Radio Collection
The award-winning portfolio of broadcast-related titles, from full-cast
dramatisations, classic and contemporary comedy, poetry, history,
science fiction and abridged readings.
麻豆社
Cover to Cover
All unabridged children's titles (except Harry Potter releases),
including unabridged titles previously published under the Cavalcade
imprint, such as Philip Pullman's The Subtle Knife, read by Philip
Pullman. Harry Potter will continue to carry the imprint Cover to
Cover Cassettes Ltd.
麻豆社
Word For Word
Contemporary unabridged fiction previously published under the Chivers
imprint, and including best-selling titles by authors such as Dick
Francis, Joanna Trollope and Maeve Binchy
Cover
to Cover Classics
Unabridged classic fiction for adults from both the Cover to Cover
and Chivers lists, to include titles such as Jane Austen's Pride
and Prejudice and Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.
Announcing
the new line-up at the London International Book Fair today (Monday,
March 18th), Paul Dempsey, Director of the 麻豆社 Audio Group, said:
"Despite the rapid growth of the format in recent years, we
believe there is still a large untapped market for spoken word,
both in the UK and internationally. Now that we have such strong
assets in both broadcast-related material and unabridged readings,
we feel we are perfectly placed to make serious inroads into that
potential."
A major
player in the market since launching its 麻豆社 Radio Collection imprint
in 1988, 麻豆社 Worldwide has expanded vigorously into unabridged readings
over the last 14 months. In December 2000 it acquired Cover to Cover
Cassettes Ltd with its catalogue of classic titles for adults and
classic and contemporary favourites for children. The deal also
included the licence to publish Stephen Fry's acclaimed readings
of the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling. Then in July 2001 it acquired
Chivers Communications Ltd, which has over 3000 unabridged readings
of classic and contemporary fiction.
Notes
to Editors
麻豆社 Worldwide's extensive audio operation produces an unparalleled
list of titles in an industry that is now worth a staggering 拢80
million a year in the UK alone. With the acquisition of Chivers,
the company now has more than 4,100 titles in its catalogue. The
market for audio has grown by 24 per cent year on year, with over
two million adults in the UK bought a spoken word cassette or CD
in the past year.
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麻豆社
Audio Trade Imprints - factfiles
麻豆社
COVER TO COVER聟麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION聟麻豆社 WORD FOR WORD聟COVER
TO COVER CLASSICS
Director Audio, Paul Dempsey
Publishing Director, Jan Paterson*
Sales and Marketing Director, Rachel Stammers/Rhian Griffith
International Development Director, Stephen Davies*
Sales Director, Stephen Edney*
Operations Director, Julian Batson*
麻豆社
RADIO COLLECTION
History/Branding:
Launched by 麻豆社 Worldwide in 1988 and containing an unparalleled
collection of contemporary and archive material, the imprint includes
all broadcast-related titles. Expanded to include Radio 4 Books
in 2000, it now has more than 900 titles in its catalogue, ranging
from full-cast dramatisations to classic and contemporary comedy,
popular abridged children's classics, history, science fiction,
thrillers, poetry and drama.
Key
titles for 2002: In April, fans of 麻豆社 Radio Collection's range
of Alan Bennett readings are anticipating the release of Hymn; a
musical memoir of childhood combining the talents of Bennett and
the Medici String Quartet. The acclaimed and hugely popular series
This Sceptred Isle: The Dynasties is also available in April as
a boxed set. The unique talent of Spike Milligan is celebrated in
two special releases for May, Spike Milligan: The Collection, and
Spike's Poems, on audiocassette and CD. In the autumn, further instalments
of the wickedly funny Radio 4 comedy show Dead Ringers will be available,
as 麻豆社 Radio Collection releases series 4 and Dead Ringers: The
Collection.
Bestsellers:
This Sceptred Isle, Agatha Christie and anything connected with
Alan Bennett consistently top the Radio Collection's charts, as
does Martin Jarvis's award-winning readings of Richmal Crompton's
Just William series. Perennial best-sellers include the classic
comedy series' from the heyday of radio, such as Round the Horne,
The Navy Lark, Hancock's Half Hour and The Goons and titles well-known
to television viewers such as Absolutely Fabulous, Fawlty Towers
and Dad's Army. Recent sales successes include the re-released Lord
of the Rings dramatisations starring Ian Holm (over 拢2 million
worth of Tolkein-related product has been sold at retail in this
financial year alone), Simon Schama's A History of Britain, which
benefited from the accompanying television series, book and video
and more current comedy titles such as Dead Ringers and I'm Sorry
I haven't a Clue (which has sold 拢250,000 worth at retail
across all 6 volumes).
Awards:
麻豆社 Radio Collection has consistently received more awards than
any other publisher since the premier annual awards, The Talkies,
began in 1995, winning four out of five Talkie of the Year awards
with Alan Bennett's Talking Heads 2, Tom Wolfe's Ambush at Fort
Bragg, This Sceptred Isle and Alan Bennett Diaries 1980-1990. Alan
Bennett's The Laying on of Hands won the first Audiobook of the
year award at the British Book Awards (Nibbies) in March 2002.
People:
Piera Johnson, Managing Editor, Radio Collection; Steve Crickmer,
Marketing Manager, Radio Collection; Rosie Whittam; Press Officer
麻豆社
COVER TO COVER
History/Branding:
Cover to Cover was founded by Helen Nicoll in 1983 and acquired
by 麻豆社 Worldwide in December 2000. Cavalcade's children's titles
were acquired in 2001. The imprint now known as 麻豆社 Cover to Cover
specialises in high quality, unabridged titles which represent the
best in children's literature, including acclaimed best-selling
authors Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, Jill Murphy
and Dick King-Smith, as well as old favourites such as The Railway
Children. In addition J K Rowling's hugely popular Harry Potter
novels are published under the imprint Cover to Cover Cassettes
Ltd
Key
titles for 2002: The enormous success of the four Harry Potter
titles and the two Christmas releases for 2001 will be followed
up this June by a CD and audiocassette Travel Version of Harry Potter
and the Philosopher's Stone. Two Jacqueline Wilson titles, The Story
of Tracy Beaker and Vicky Angel, read by Sandi Toksvig, and will
be released on CD for the first time, and there are releases of
one title from Anne Fine and three from Dick King-Smith. Other children's
favourites released this Spring include Finn Family Moomintroll
(Tove Jansson) read by Hugh Laurie, and Groosham Grange (Anthony
Horowitz) read by Nickolas Grace; and Philip Pullman's The Subtle
Knife, read by the author.
Bestsellers:
Stephen Fry's recordings of the first four Harry Potter audiobooks
sold more than 330,000 units in 2001 alone. Other children's bestsellers
last year were Jacqueline Wilson's Vicky Angel, The Cat Mummy, Girls
In Love and The Dare Game, which have sold over 25,500 units between
them, More Winnie The Pooh Stories by A.A. Milne (6,000 units) and
The Ruby in the Smoke by Anton Lesser at 3,500 units.
Awards:
Recent awards include the 1999 Children's Talkie Award for Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the 2001 Gold Category Spoken
Word Award for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
People:
Nicole Kirkman*, editorial director, adult and children's unabridged;
Tracy Leeming, manager, Harry Potter; James Whitaker, marketing
manager, children's; Kate Walsh, children's editor.
* key
contacts at the London International Book Fair
麻豆社
WORD FOR WORD
History/Branding:
Word for Word was originally an imprint of Chivers Communications
Ltd, which was acquired by 麻豆社 Worldwide in July 2001, bringing
a backlist of more than 3000 unabridged readings of classic and
contemporary fiction. A relatively niche player in the market, Word
for Word was well known as a specialist in the adult unabridged
category. The relaunched imprint, 麻豆社 Word for Word, will extend
the quality and production values associated with the 麻豆社 brand
to drive significantly increased sales. Its list focuses on best
selling mass market fiction to provide an entertaining and engaging
listening experience.
Key
titles for 2002: Among the tempting titles on offer this year
are best-selling books by Dick Francis (Shattered), read by Tony
Britton; Joanna Trollope (Girl from the South), read by Lorelei
King; and Maeve Binchy (The Copper Beech), ready by Kate Binchy
(the author's cousin) all due for release this summer.
Bestsellers:
Top-selling titles under the Word for Word imprint have included
PD James' Unnatural Causes, read by Michael Jayston; The Carousel
by Rosamund Pilcher, read by Frances Barber; Ruth Rendell's Wolf
to the Slaughter, read by Robin Bailey; Jonathon Cecil's reading
of PG Wodehouse's Right, Ho Jeeves; and Catherine Cookson's A Grand
Man, read by Susan Jameson. Popular titles in the thriller genre
include Tony Britton's reading of Dick Francis' Blood Sport; and
Stephen Thorne's reading of A Morbid Taste for Bones, by Ellis Peters.
COVER TO COVER CLASSICS
History/Branding:
This imprint incorporates the classics titles from both the Chivers
unabridged adult fiction list and adult titles from the original
Cover to Cover list. The list is well established within the retail
market and has a well-developed direct sales operation. Customers
are typically affluent and well educated, with an appreciation of
literary fiction, especially the classics. In producing the product,
great care is taken to match the text and the reader to create a
high quality listening experience; a quality which is also reflected
in the packaging.
Key
titles for 2002:
Jeremy Irons reads Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, released
this July, and Hugh Dickson reads Charles Dickens' Bleak House,
released earlier this year. Other major titles for this year are
Dr Zhivago by Boris Pasternak, read by Philip Madoc and Juliet Stevenson
reading Mrs. Gaskell's North and South.
People:
Nicole Kirkman* Editorial Director, unabridged audio; Christine
Graham*, Marketing Manager, adult unabridged
* Key
contacts at the Book Fair
麻豆社's Top 20 Best-selling Audio Titles:
- THE
LORD OF THE RINGS (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- THE
FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
- THE
HOBBIT (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- THE
TWO TOWERS (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
- THE
RETURN OF THE KING (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE - ADULT (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE - COMPACT DISC (麻豆社 COVER TO
COVER)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE - CHILDREN'S (麻豆社 COVER TO
COVER)
- DOCTOR
WHO: FACELESS ONES, THE (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HANCOCK'S
HALF HOUR, THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION: SERIES 4 (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- THIS
SCEPTRED ISLE: 55BC-1999 BOXED SET (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
- DOCTOR
WHO: THE DALEKS' MASTER PLAN (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS - COMPACT DISC (麻豆社 COVER TO
COVER)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
- THE
LORD OF THE RINGS - CHILDREN'S COVER (麻豆社 RADIO COLLECTION)
- HARRY
POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS - ADULT (麻豆社 COVER TO COVER)
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