Hachette Livre announces its acquisition of Octopus Publishing

Hachette Livre, a subsidiary of Lagardère Media, has just acquired Octopus, one of Great Britain’s top publishers of illustrated books.

Octopus includes such prestigious publishing houses as Mitchell Beazley, Philip’s, Conran and Hamlyn.

Half of its sales of over 40 million pounds sterling are international and its catalogue of 100,000 titles includes such well-known collections as Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine and Miller’s Antiques Price Guide.

The acquisition of Octopus signals a new phase in Hachette Livre’s international development within the English-speaking market, which was already illustrated by its takeover of Orion and Cassell.

On the occasion, Jean-Louis Lisimachio, President of Hachette Livre, commented that “The publication of illustrated books is at the heart of Hachette’s expertise and I would like to see this segment reap the full benefits of our growth on the other side of the Channel”.

In the opinion of Arnaud Lagardère, Chairman and CEO of Lagardère Media, “This acquisition confirms our Group’s desire to grow in the area of content, notably by publishing in the highest-growth language and cultural markets“.