Tonight:
9°c
Bloomsbury bowled over to catch Wisden
05.12.08
Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury is set to become the custodian of another icon of the world of books: Wisden.
The group whose success was founded on finding JK Rowling, said today it is buying John Wisden & Co, publisher of Wisden's Cricketers' Almanack, reckoned to be the world's most famous sports book.
Bloomsbury, which has been a sales partner to Wisden for the last four years, is buying the business from the super-rich Getty family.
Cricket nut Sir Paul Getty rescued Wisden back in 1993, and since his death in 2003 it has been run by his son Mark.
"Acquiring Wisden is an important step in our strategy to increase our presence in reference and sports publishing," said Bloomsbury's chief exeutive Nigel Newton.
Wisden sales have fallen back from their 2006 high point of more than 50,000, the edition which celebrated England's first Ashes series victory in nearly two decades.
