Simon & Schuster Australia acquires Affirm Press

Melbourne, Monday, August 26, 2024 - Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S Australia) and Affirm Press today announced that they have signed an agreement under which leading independent publisher Affirm Press will become part of Simon & Schuster, one of the world’s preeminent publishing houses. This announcement follows Simon & Schuster’s acquisition of leading Dutch publisher Veen Bosch & Keuning (VBK) and further reinforces the company’s international ambitions.

The acquisition will include all of Affirm Press publishing in Australia. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Since its inception, Affirm Press has been dedicated to publishing the most entertaining and engaging Australian authors across fiction, non-fiction and, since 2017, children’s books. Owned by Martin Hughes (CEO and Publishing Director), Keiran Rogers (Sales and Finance Director) and Graeme Wise, Founder and Chair of The Adidem Group, Affirm Press has established itself as one of the most dynamic companies in Australian publishing, and has become the fastest-growing independent publisher in Australia.

S&S Australia has been one of the fastest-growing publishers in the Australian market over recent years through its investment in local publishing and Audio; growth in internationally supplied titles; and through partnering with local and international client publishers. S&S Australia recently launched two new local imprints: Summit Books Australia, publishing bold voices and international fiction and nonfiction, giving readers an expansive view of the world; and Bundyi Publishing, focusing on cultivating First Nations talent in the industry by publishing books by First Nations authors, edited and designed by First Nations people.

This acquisition represents strategic growth for both companies. Through Affirm, S&S Australia will expand its local publishing program, including venturing further into Children’s publishing. By joining with S&S Australia, Affirm has found a strategic ally to achieve its long-term ambitions for growth in areas such as technology, production, and international opportunities.

Affirm Press CEO and Publishing Director Martin Hughes said, ‘Loving what we do, and being passionate about our work, has always been essential to Keiran and me. Ironically, our success has been the greatest threat to this because with big business can come big headaches. We are immensely proud to have built Affirm Press to the company it is today, and excited at the opportunity to become part of the enormously impressive Simon & Schuster network. Joining a company with operational scale makes eminent sense to us, and we are looking forward to once again focusing on what we love most – creating, producing, publishing, and selling books that will leave the community better off for having existed.’

S&S Australia Managing Director Dan Ruffino said, ‘We are thrilled to partner with Martin, Keiran, and the team at Affirm Press to continue their remarkable growth of recent years. They have impressive and robust plans and a culture which align strategically with our vision for the future in the Australian and New Zealand markets and we cannot wait to begin working with them.’

S&S UK and International CEO and Publisher Ian Chapman said, ‘Affirm is a company I have long held in high esteem, albeit from afar. Their publishing passion and excellence have always shone brightly through, authors and their work at the heart of everything they do. I am immensely proud of S&S Australia, made the more so by this moment where we welcome Martin, Keiran and Affirm to the S&S family. The global reach and publishing prowess, with the support of S&S’s US, UK and Indian publishing companies, will provide even greater possibilities for Affirm’s authors and books to achieve an even wider readership. These are exciting times for us all.’

Affirm Press will continue to maintain its brand independence, operating as a subsidiary of Simon & Schuster Australia. Based on the joint belief that employee engagement and a strong ownership culture are decisive factors in strengthening the combined publisher, Affirm Press employees will be able to benefit from the Simon & Schuster broad-based ownership program.

About Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster Australia is a division of Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing. Headquartered in New York City, the company is dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Adams Media, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and VBK in the Netherlands and Belgium. It proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.au

About Affirm Press
Affirm Press is an independent Melbourne-based publisher dedicated to publishing great Australian stories, big ideas and the most engaging Australian authors. First established in 2010 but a full-time enterprise only since 2013, Affirm Press has grown steadily to become the fastest growing trade publisher in Australia. Its mission is to ‘influence by delight’, by publishing books that are first and foremost entertaining and engaging but also have a positive impact on the reader and the community. For more information visit our website at www.affirmpress.com.au