Hachette Livre
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Predecessor | Brédif, L. Hachette et Compagnie, Librairie Hachette, Hachette SA |
| Founded | 1826 |
| Founder | Louis Hachette |
| Headquarters | Vanves , France |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Arnaud Lagardère (Chairman and CEO) |
| Products | Books, partworks, distribution services |
| Owner | Lagardère Group (since 1981) |
| Parent | Lagardère Publishing |
| Website | www |
Hachette Livre S.A. (; commonly referred to as Hachette) is a Paris-based French publishing conglomerate. Established in 1826 by Louis Hachette under the name Brédif, the firm underwent several name changes—such as L. Hachette et Compagnie, Librairie Hachette, and Hachette SA—before adopting its current title, Hachette Livre. Its global footprint includes subsidiaries like Hachette Australia, Hachette UK, and the American branch, Hachette Book Group.
Since 1981, ownership of Hachette Livre has been held by the Lagardère Group within its publishing sector known as Lagardère Publishing. The Lagardère Group itself is predominantly controlled by the French conglomerate Louis Hachette Group (LHG), which originated as a spin-off from Vivendi.
France
The company traces its origins to 1826 when Louis Hachette founded it as Brédif, remaining under family leadership for multiple generations, including that of his great-grandson Robert Meunier du Houssoy. In 1981, it was acquired by the Lagardère Group. By 1992, its publishing operations were unified under the subsidiary Hachette Livre (), serving as the principal imprint within Lagardère Publishing. Based in Paris's 15th arrondissement, Hachette broadened its scope through significant acquisitions, such as merging with the Hatier group in 1996 and acquiring dictionary publisher Éditions Larousse in 2004.
International expansion
In 2002, the UK publishing house John Murray was purchased by Hodder Headline, which itself became part of the Lagardère Group in 2004. Since then, it has functioned as an imprint within Lagardère's portfolio under the name Hachette UK.
Also in 2004, Lagardère acquired Australian publisher Hodder Headline on behalf of Hachette Livre, subsequently rebranding it as Hachette Australia.
Hachette entered the U.S. market in 2006 by acquiring Time Warner's book-publishing division, which was renamed Hachette Book Group USA. This deal included incorporating Australian independent publisher Lothian Books as one of its imprints.
In June 2013, Hachette purchased Hyperion Books’ adult trade division from Disney; however, Disney retained control over the young adult and television-related titles through Disney–Hyperion.
The year 2018 saw Hachette launch its Robinson Millenials imprint to publish webcomics in collaboration with Hiveworks Comics.
Further growth for Hachette UK came with the August 2020 acquisition of Laurence King Publishing, recognized for Johanna Basford’s adult coloring books. In 2022, Welbeck Publishing Group was also added to its portfolio.
Corporate affairs
Since April 2015, Hachette’s main offices have been situated at 58 rue Jean-Bleauzen in Vanves (Hauts-de-Seine, France). Prior locations included an office at the junction of Boulevards Saint-Germain and Saint-Michel in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, followed by a period from 2006 to 2015 in Paris’s 15th arrondissement neighborhood of Grenelle.
In June 2014, a three-way agreement was announced involving Hachette’s U.S. division, Perseus Books Group, and Ingram Content Group. The plan entailed Hachette acquiring Perseus while divesting client services operations to Ingram. Due to complexities, this arrangement was abandoned in August 2014. Ultimately, the acquisition was finalized in April 2016: Perseus’s publishing imprints transferred to Hachette, while distribution assets were assigned to Ingram.
Starting January 2024, all English-language activities will be consolidated under a unified leadership structure. David Chelley, CEO of Hachette UK, will also oversee Hachette Book Group USA and report directly to Hachette Livre’s chairman and CEO Arnaud Lagardère.
Company organization
Hachette Livre's operations are divided into three primary segments: publishing, partworks, and distribution.
Publishing
The publishing activities of Hachette Livre extend across multiple regions, including France, Spain, Latin America (primarily Mexico), North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, the Arab world (notably Lebanon and Morocco), and Francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
| Region/Country | Divisions |
|---|---|
| France |
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| Spain and Latin America (Hachette España/Grupo Anaya) |
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| United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (Hachette UK) |
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| North America (Hachette Book Group) |
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| Australia and New Zealand |
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| Other markets |
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Partworks
Hachette markets partworks in a wide array of countries, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Poland, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Belarus, Croatia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
Prominent labels comprise:
- Hachette Collections (France; also serving Francophone regions of Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada)
- Kolekcja Hachette (Poland)
- Hachette Partworks Ltd. (United Kingdom)
- Hachette Kollektsia (Russia)
- Hachette Fascicoli (Italy; additionally covering Greece, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, and Bulgaria)
- Hachette Collections Japan
- Editorial Salvat (Spain and Latin American markets)
Distribution
To facilitate its publishing operations, Hachette manages comprehensive distribution channels including:
- Hachette Livre Distribution (France)
- Dilibel (Belgium)
- Diffulivre (Switzerland)
- Hachette Canada
- Lightning Source France (a partnership with Lightning Source)
- Bookpoint (United Kingdom)
- Hachette UK Distribution
- Alliance Distribution Services (Australia)
- HBG Client Services (United States)
- Comercial Grupo Anaya (Spain)
See also
Further reading
- History of Hachette Australia – outlines acquisitions and milestones from its 1726 UK beginnings through to 2015
- 'The ebook is a stupid product: no creativity, no enhancement,' remarks the CEO of the Hachette Group