Celebrating an Independent David Fickling Books

By Julia Eccleshare | PW - July16, 2013

David Fickling.

After a decade publishing from within the Random House Group, David Fickling Books has gone independent. A crowd of well-wishers, including authors, illustrators, agents, publishers, investors, friends, and family gathered at Fickling’s Oxford offices to celebrate the publisher’s transition from imprint to independent publisher. 

In a relaxed and upbeat atmosphere, Fickling made a short speech celebrating the excitement of the venture and the thrill of publishing the best stories – both fiction and nonfiction – while Simon Mason, the new managing director, testified to David’s determination to achieve the very best.

Celebrating the company's new direction (from l.): managing director Simon Master, author Philip Pullman, and David Fickling.

Philip Pullman, one of the authors most closely associated with David Fickling Books, presented David with a gift signifying freedom and later told PW:

 “The prospect of a new and independent publishing house led by David Fickling gives me a feeling for which I can only find the word ‘glee.’ I warmly welcome David Fickling’s new DFB. He has been editing my books for nearly 30 years now, and everything he’s done has made them better than they would have been. 

His enormous, life-enhancing enthusiasm does more for the world of books than anything else I can think of, and his new independence willenable more of that gusto to sweep through bookshops and libraries and children’s own bookshelves, to everyone’s delight.”