Press releases & announcements

06th January 2009

Bloomsbury acquires Arden Shakespeare

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is pleased to announce the acquisition of Arden Shakespeare from Cengage Learning. This transaction is not material to Bloomsbury.

Arden Shakespeare is the most academically rigorous Shakespeare series in print, and the best-known English literature brand worldwide. Originally created by the British publishing firm of Methuen in the late nineteenth century, and edited by a distinguished collection of scholars, the series took 25 years to complete from the launch of the first title, Edward Dowden's Hamlet, in 1899. In 1995 the Third Series of The Arden Shakespeare was launched. Now published under the imprint Arden Shakespeare, under the General Editorship of Richard Proudfoot, Ann Thompson, David Scott Kastan and Henry Woudhuysen, the Arden Shakespeare Third Series is nearing completion. Each new volume supersedes the corresponding Second Series text, being meticulously edited from the original sources by a contemporary scholar.

Arden Shakespeare will retain its internationally recognised name and become part of the Methuen Drama imprint (acquired in 2006 by A&C Black which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bloomsbury). The acquisition will make Methuen Drama Europe's largest performing arts list, which includes work by Bertolt Brecht, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw and Arthur Miller as well as contemporary playwrights such as Michael Frayn and Willy Russell, Methuen Student editions and the New Mermaids critical editions.

'I am delighted that the Arden Shakespeare series is returning to Methuen. Arden is a highly prestigious addition to our performing arts publishing and fits perfectly with our strategy of acquiring high quality perennial publishing lists which have significant potential for digital exploitation. We look forward to working with the Arden General Editors Richard Proudfoot, Ann Thompson, David Scott Kastan and Henry Woudhuysen to grow and strengthen this important list' says A&C Black Managing Director, Jill Coleman.

Jill Jones, CEO Cengage Learning EMEA said, 'The Arden Shakespeare is an excellent fit for Bloomsbury: we wish A&C Black, all volume editors, authors and General Editors from the Arden Shakespeare success for the future'.

www.methuendrama.com

For further enquiries:

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Jill Coleman, Bloomsbury Publishing Plccare of Bell Pottinger

Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial

Ben Woodford / Rosanne Perry +44 (0)20 7861 3232

Notes to Editors

About Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

(www.bloomsbury.com and www.bloomsbury-ir.co.uk)

Bloomsbury Publishing is one of the world's leading independent, publicly quoted publishing houses with a reputation for a high quality management team and a highly valuable portfolio of intellectual properties including the Encarta World English Dictionary, JK Rowling's Harry Potter, Margaret Atwood, John Irving, David Guterson and Ben Schott. Other databases include Who's Who, Whitaker's Almanack, Reed's Nautical Almanac, Black's Medical Dictionary, the Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners of English, Business: The Ultimate Resource and RSPB Handbook of British Birds. 

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