Quarto to relaunch Ivy Kids as sustainable imprint

Brighton-based children’s publisher Ivy Kids, part of the Quarto Group, is relaunching as "a sustainable imprint" in 2021 with Georgia Amson-Bradshaw at the helm.

The change in direction will see Ivy Kids publish eight books a year on themes celebrating nature, the environment and "living consciously".

Amson-Bradshaw, currently associate publisher of Wide Eyed Editions, has been appointed to the role of publisher to oversee Ivy Kids’ publishing and its "fully sustainable production mandate", scrutinising how its books are actually made in a bid to effect "meaningful change".

"As people wake up to fact that we rely on the natural world and its living systems for our own wellbeing, we are seeing an upswell in publishing and book sales on environmental topics," said Amson-Bradshaw.

"But it’s one thing talking the talk about sustainability—commissioning ever more titles on how we can make changes in our personal lives. Much harder, but more worthwhile, is walking the walk, and really looking at how to change the actual processes by which those books are made. With this Ivy Kids relaunch we hope to spark meaningful change within the industry, to challenge existing ideas of ‘business as usual’."

In 2019 the Quarto Group published Greta and The Giants by Zoe Tucker and Zoe Persico, which was produced and promoted sustainably, and was a Christmas bestselling picture book last autumn. According to Quarto, it has sold over 50,000 copies in the English language to date, in addition to which rights have sold in 25 foreign languages.

Looking ahead to the list for Ivy Kids, the publisher has promised books will be printed on carbon-balanced, 100% recycled paper made from post-consumer waste, which has been milled to order to avoid wastage through offcuts. They will be manufactured using 100% renewable energy in the UK, with local print runs around the world, also on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, for other markets. Remaining emissions will be calculated and offset, and production processes will be continually reviewed to find new ways of reducing impacts.

Amson-Bradshaw will continue reporting to Katie Cotton. Cotton, currently Frances Lincoln Children’s Books publisher, has also been promoted to group publisher of all three lists—Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, Wide Eyed Editions and Ivy Kids.

Polly Powell, c.e.o. of the Quarto Group UK, said: "I’m hugely excited that the Quarto Group is demonstrating its commitment to sustainable publishing with this wonderful, and extremely timely, initiative. Ivy Kids will not only make some fantastic books but also show us how we can be kinder to our planet as an industry."