Media Releases

10 July, 2014

The Economic contribution of the New Zealand publishing industry study by PwC released today is the first to measure the size and scope of publisher activities.

“As publishers know but statisticians often don’t, book industry revenue flows through many channels—export, libraries, etailers, schools, bookstores here and overseas, rights sales, co-editions and more,” says Sam Elworthy, Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) President.

“To get a solid sense of our industry requires some work and we’re thrilled to have the report. As publishers, it enables us to talk to government as an industry with real heft—employing people and producing GDP.” The survey shows publishing is an industry with total sales of $300 million, directly employing nearly 3,000 people in various roles.

The analysis used 2012 data, but Elworthy notes it covered just the start of the explosion of ebook sales in New Zealand so future growth will be noted in following surveys. “Educational publishing data was also captured more effectively than previous surveys. We expect continued growth there, and in export in particular.”

Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) commissioned the publishing survey alongside surveys of the same data for other creative sector activities including film, television and music.

“The critical objective from CLNZ’s perspective was to get comprehensive data as a starting point to be able to quantify the scale of the book publishing and other sectors,” says CLNZ ceo Paula Browning. “We need to be able to measure growth and to know where the disruption that is impacting the sectors is affecting us – both the good and the bad!”

Browning says the surveys will be repeated in 2015 with the support of CLNZ’s Cultural Fund.

Download the Final Report.

PwC Final Report – Economic Contribution of New Zealand Publishing Industry

Contact:

Sam Elworthy, President PANZ

P: 64-9-923-2799

M: 64-22-680-7342

s.elworthy@auckland.ac.nz

30 April 2014 Auckland: Penguin Random House today announced a new leadership structure in New Zealand with Margaret Thompson appointed to the newly created position of Managing Director, Penguin Random House New Zealand.

Gabrielle Coyne, Chief Executive Officer Penguin Random House Asia Pacific, said, “I am delighted Margaret has accepted this important new role. Along with her wide ranging experience, Margaret brings a strong mix of publishing acumen, matched with an unwavering sales optimism and flair.”

Margaret Thompson’s career in publishing spans more than 30 years across Australia and New Zealand. She has been Managing Director of Penguin New Zealand since 2005. In 2007 Margaret steered the acquisition of Reed Publishing and in 2009 led Penguin’s acquisition of Mallinson Rendell Publishing; the originating publisher of Lynley Dodd, author of the global bestselling Hairy Maclary books, which have now sold over 9 million copies worldwide.

Margaret Thompson said, “I am delighted to accept this position and look forward to leading the Penguin Random House team to create an exciting new company which will continue to be committed to local publishing, supportive of our authors and booksellers and focused on maintaining a vibrant and creative presence in New Zealand.”

With Margaret’s appointment, Karen Ferns Joint Managing Director of Random House Australia and New Zealand will sadly leave the company on 16 May.

Karen has made an invaluable contribution to Random House growing the sales and company over many years. Highly respected within the publishing industry, Karen has been a passionate advocate for New Zealand and New Zealand publishing. She joined Random House New Zealand as Sales and Marketing Director in 1999 and was appointed Managing Director in 2008. In 2012 she was appointed Joint Managing Director of Random House Australia and New Zealand.

-ENDS-

Media Enquiries

Camilla Subeathar

Corporate Communications Manager

Penguin Random House Asia Pacific

Ph + 613 9811 2542, email:csubeathar@penguinrandomhouse.com.au

Notes to Editors

Penguin Random House (http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/) is the world’s first truly global trade book publisher. It was formed on July 1, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively. Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and South Africa; DK worldwide; and Random House’s companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.

 
While Fergus’ current high profile is as the publisher of Booker Prize winning novel The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, he has had a distinguished career, and has championed many fledgling New Zealand authors who have gone on to receive international recognition.
 
“For a good many years, Fergus has been one of this country’s great literary explorers—hunting for new voices, new talents, new ideas and taking them to the world,” says Publishers Association of New Zealand president Sam Elworthy. “He and the Victoria University Press team have brought to readers a treasure trove of great New Zealand scholarship and literature. Fergus’s work is an outstanding example of the work that publishers do connecting authors to readers, New Zealanders to the world. The Publishers Association congratulates Fergus on his well-deserved recognition in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.”
 
Also made a recipient of the MNZM is children’s literature specialist, and author of theLittle Yellow Digger series of children’s picture books, Betty Gilderdale.
 
Recently retired booksellers Beatrice Parsons and Julian Parsons of iconic Wellington bookstore Parsons Books and Music both received the Queen’s Service Medal for services to business and the arts.