German-owned publishing house taken over
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
13.02.2013 16:08
Swiat Ksiazki, the fourth biggest publishing house in Poland, has been taken over by Wroclaw-based firm Bukowy Las.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: wikipedia
The new owners have pledged to bring new titles into print "as swiftly as possible," according to a statement released on Bukowy Las's official web site.
Swiat Ksiazki (The World of Books) was founded by Bertelsmann Media in 1994 and later sold to Weltbild publishing house after establishing itself as one of the leading players on the Polish book market.
It counted many noted authors in its fold, including Polish writers such as Jerzy Pilch, Artur Domoslawski and Hanna Krall, as well as US historians Timothy Snyder and Anne Applebaum, among other foreign authors.
However, with Weltbild announcing that it was quitting the Polish market in December 2011, the fate of the publishing house was thrown into the doldrums.
New owners Bukowy Las are relative newcomers to the scene, having set up shop in 2010.
However, they have already published translations of books by J.R.R Tolkien as well as celebrities such as actress Diane Keaton and tennis star Andre Agassi.
The sum paid for the new acqusition has not been disclosed. (nh)