Bonnier Books UK returns £1.1m profit in 2019
For the financial year to 31 December 2019 Bonnier Books UK returned a profit of £1.1m on net sales of £85.7m.
Revenues in 2019 were up by 12% on the previous year to £85.7m and Earnings Before Interest and Tax (“EBIT”) improved by £4.7m on 2018.
‘Bonnier Books UK is now into profitability following a period of transformation, consolidation and continued growth. The result is testament to our staff’s hard work over the last two years and numerous achievements …’
Jonathan Perdoni, CFO/COO
Jonathan Perdoni, CFO/COO, Bonnier Books UK, said: ‘2019 saw a continued improvement in the financial health of the business. Bonnier Books UK is now into profitability following a period of transformation, consolidation and continued growth. The result is testament to our staff’s hard work over the last two years and numerous achievements – both from the continued strength of our publishing and our ongoing efforts for operational improvement across the company. Recapitalisation during 2019 by our Swedish parent company has also further strengthened the company’s balance sheet, as we embark upon our growth plans in 2020.’
‘With the right team in place and a fantastic list coming together for 2020 and beyond, the business is now prime for growth. I can’t wait to see what our future holds.’
Perminder Mann, CEO
Perminder Mann, CEO, Bonnier Books UK, added: ‘I’m so proud of how far we have come over the last two years and thankful for the hard work of our brilliant senior leadership team and colleagues; the talent of our wonderful authors, illustrators and brand partners; and the ongoing support of our wider publishing community. Our publishing is going from strength to strength and launching our new literary imprint, Manilla Press, earlier this year was a real highlight. With the right team in place and a fantastic list coming together for 2020 and beyond, the business is now prime for growth. I can’t wait to see what our future holds.’
The 2019 results follow a strategic decision announced in 2018 to align the business more closely with its Swedish parent group, Bonnier Books, increasing its focus on traditional publishing, including fiction and narrative non-fiction.
Business highlights:
- In 2019, Bonnier Books UK imprint Zaffre was the publisher of the biggest-selling novel of the year, The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and the biggest-selling debut novel of the year, The Familiars by Stacey Halls
- A staggering 1 in 4 adult fiction books were Sunday Times bestsellers[1]
- The company consolidated its position as the sixth-largest UK trade publisher
- Audiobook sales grew by a quarter, as the company published a number of chart-toppers including its biggest-selling audiobook yet, The Beekeeper of Aleppo, selling more than 50,000 units in 2019
- The company launched a new sustainability programme driven by the UN global goals for sustainable development. This included a new internship scheme in partnership with Creative Access and school workshops in collaboration with The National Literacy Trust
[1] 24% from January 2019 – December 2019
