Our story
We publish a broad and vibrant range of books for audiences of all ages from dazzling bestsellers to influential prize-winners; books to inspire lifelong readers and listeners to enduring classics for generations to come. The fourth largest UK publisher, we pride ourselves on publishing successfully and sustainably and are committed to working together to positively impact culture and society at large.
Pan Macmillan has offices in the UK, Australia, South Africa and India and a sister company headquartered in New York, Macmillan USA. Because of the group’s scale, our outlook is truly global and our ambition unlimited. This is supported by the goals of our owners and shareholders, the Holtzbrinck family. Investing for the long term, the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group is passionately dedicated to the progress of science, education and the culture of reading - all essential for a truly sustainable world.
The House of Pan Macmillan
We describe the way we’re organised as ‘The House of Pan Macmillan’. Under one roof we have many rooms that provide a home to our imprints: each room is distinctive, containing the carefully curated collections of different kinds of books published for the widest possible readership.
These imprints comprise Bluebird; Campbell Books; Harriman House, First Ink; Kingfisher; Macmillan, Macmillan Business; Macmillan Children’s Books, Macmillan Collector's Library; Mantle, One Boat; Pan; Picador and Tor.
Our mission
Our mission is to publish the very best authors and illustrators successfully and sustainably for the widest possible readership because we believe that books enrich people’s lives and build empathy and understanding.
At Pan Macmillan, we are committed to working together to make a difference. The books we publish lie at the heart of cultural conversation: they can stir empathy, promote understanding and offer comfort in times of need.
Every one of us here - from our editors and designers, to our production and finance teams - is inspired by our goal of bringing them to the broadest, most diverse audiences possible. But as well as publishing successfully and sustainably, we want to use the unique tools we have at our disposal - our creativity, our expertise, and our reach - to positively impact culture and society at large.
We have identified three key areas where Pan Macmillan is best placed to make a difference and are committed to working with a variety of partners to drive meaningful, long-lasting change: Building an inclusive community; Protecting our planet and Reading for life.
Making a difference at Pan Macmillan
We have identified three key areas where we can make a difference and are committed to working with a variety of partners to drive meaningful, long-lasting change.
Our history
Our family roots and rich history have helped us to build a warm and collaborative culture, where all voices are heard and new, creative perspectives are always welcome.
Founded in 1843 by Daniel and Alexander Macmillan - working class sons of a Scottish crofter - we have a proud history stretching back nearly 200 years. Daniel was the business brain, while Alexander laid the literary foundations, publishing such great authors as Charles Kingsley, Christina Rossetti, Thomas Hughes, Lewis Carroll, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry James, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling and H.G. Wells.
The brothers' publishing talents were not confined to literature. Their vision led to the creation of enduring copyrights such as Nature (1869), the renowned Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1877) and Palgrave's Dictionary of Political Economy (1899).
An ambitious expansion programme was initiated in the late 1960s when Harold Macmillan retired from politics after his term as prime minister and became chairman of the company. Serious academic, educational and literary publishing was followed by significant growth in reference programmes and college textbooks as well as educational and scientific journals. New international opportunities were grasped and publishing operations were set up in Japan, Mexico and the emerging markets of Africa and Asia.
Today Macmillan is one of the largest and best-known international publishers in the world.
‘“If a large tree grows from this small seed we shall be grateful.” ’
— Daniel Macmillan, 1843
How the pioneering Macmillan brothers built a publishing powerhouse
Sarah Harkness, author of Literature for the People, explains how two idealistic brothers, working-class sons of a Scottish crofter, went on to set up a publishing house that spread radical ideas on equality, science and education across the world.