Publisher boosts investment in Yorkshire with office expansion

Publishing group Hachette UK is expanding its national office in Sheffield.

The 23-strong team has moved to a workspace previously used by Twinkl, an education business founded in Sheffield.

Hachette UK now has 120 staff based across the cities of Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Sheffield.

The Sheffield team includes staff from eight different publishing divisions and a similar number of job functions, with particular strengths in editorial, marketing, sales, rights and IT.

Since opening in 2021, the team has established relationships with the local literary community, including independent bookshops Juno Books and La Biblioteka and Sheffield Central Library, where its fortnightly open mic night Sheffield Draft Night is held.

The move to a standalone space with two suites, meeting rooms with the latest technology, an audio studio, and break-out/quiet spaces will enable Hachette UK to hire creative talent beyond London. Sheffield-based staff moved into their new office space on 4 August 2023.

Nick Davies, MD of John Murray Press and national office lead at Hachette UK, said: “We are  committed to growing our creative hubs across the UK. In just over two years, the national offices have more than doubled in size.

“The growth in Sheffield – from five staff to 23 – has been particularly exciting to see. And this impressive new space gives us the potential to grow that office to 75 colleagues or more.

“We have already begun reaping the rewards of having a workforce that better reflects the UK’s population.

“Of course, better is not enough and we have ambitious plans to deepen our vital connections with readers, writers and booksellers in communities beyond London. The move to bigger premises in Sheffield plays a significant part in that.”

David Shelley, CEO of Hachette UK, added: “I’m so proud of our national offices, and excited about the major expansion in Sheffield.

“Since 2021 the national offices have provided a gateway into creative talent – authors, illustrators, translators, publishing professionals – around the UK.

“We’re 100% committed to the growth and development of these hubs over the coming years, and we really look forward to continuing and developing our work with bookshops, libraries, arts organisations, and charities in all five cities.

“Opening offices around the country has been a crucial and transformative venture for us in our mission to publish for as wide a readership as possible, and we’re ambitious to increase our footprint outside London further in the years to come.”

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