McArthur & Company Publishing
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Book publishing and distribution |
| Founded | May 1998 |
| Founder | Kim McArthur |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Canadian and international fiction and non-fiction titles for adult and young readers |
McArthur & Company was a Toronto-based Canadian book publisher and distributor specializing in both Canadian and international fiction and non-fiction titles for adult and young readers. The company operated from 1998 until it ceased operations in 2013.
History
Kim McArthur established the company in May 1998 following the closure of Little, Brown Canada (LBL) by Time Warner, where she had served as head since 1987. After securing financial backing, she rehired the majority of LBL’s staff and acquired its backlist along with author agreements from Time Warner, relaunching under the new name within three weeks.
During its initial eight years, McArthur & Company released 63 bestsellers, including 21 that reached #1 on bestseller lists, with an equal number of Canadian and international authors represented. The company’s authors garnered 21 nominations for Canadian literary awards and won seven. In 2003, two writers were finalists for the Governor General's Award for Fiction. Prominent Canadian authors published by McArthur included Giller Prize nominee Nancy Huston, Leacock Award recipient Marsha Boulton, Arthur Ellis Award winner Rosemary Aubert, Trillium Award nominee Barry Callaghan, as well as Greg Gatenby, Kate Pullinger, AISLIN, Lisa Appignanesi, Anne DeGrace, Sondra Gotlieb, Rosemary Sullivan, Jack Granetstein, and John Brady. Internationally recognized writers published included Maeve Binchy, Joanna Trollope, Bryce Courtenay, Vikram Seth, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Justin Cartwright, Rosie Thomas, and Colleen McCullough.
In addition to publishing its own catalog, McArthur & Company acted as the exclusive Canadian representative for Orion Books and Hodder Headline until December 31, 2009. The firm held memberships in the Association of Canadian Publishers, the Canadian Booksellers Association, and the Ontario Book Publishers Organization. It also managed sales and marketing efforts for Exile Editions based in Ontario. HarperCollins Canada was responsible for warehousing and distribution services.
The company ultimately closed in 2013 due to financial challenges that emerged after Hachette UK transferred its bestselling authors and Canadian distribution rights to Hachette US. Subsequent to the closure, Kim McArthur was found guilty of Wage Theft by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour.