Pushkin Press expands further with acquisition of Gallic Books' list

Pushkin Press has acquired Gallic Books’ list of titles. Starting in January 2025 Pushkin will begin to republish Gallic books under its own imprints.

Founded in 2007, Gallic’s list comprises nearly 150 titles, primarily consisting of the very best of French fiction in English. Gallic made an early splash with The Elegance of the Hedgehog (which has now sold more than 10 million copies worldwide), as well as many other books by Muriel Barbery. Other successes include the novels of Antoine Laurain, including The Red Notebook and The President’s Hat, alongside contemporary English-language authors including Kirsten McDougall, Bridget Walsh and Edward Carey.

Gallic Books will continue to publish until the end of 2024, including a multi-award-winning debut novel What I Know About You by Éric Chacour, translated by Pablo Strauss (September), and a new novel from Edward Carey, Edith Holler (October). Pushkin Press will publish the paperback editions of the 2024 Gallic titles, as well as the new book in the Variety Palace Mysteries series by Bridget Walsh. There are no new Gallic acquisitions in the schedule beyond this.

The acquisition comes after owner Jane Aitken stepped away from executive responsibilities of Gallic in 2022. No staff will move over to Pushkin as part of the deal. Aitken said: "I am delighted that Gallic authors are to have a new home at Pushkin Press. Pushkin and Gallic share a commitment to publish wonderful books from around the world and to high standards of translation."

Publisher and managing director of Pushkin Press Adam Freudenheim said: "I’ve long admired Gallic’s flair for French fiction, ever since I met Jane Aitken shortly after the company’s founding. They’ve done so well with so many terrific books. I’m thrilled that Jane is entrusting the Gallic list to Pushkin, and we’re excited and committed to providing a new home for Gallic’s many beloved authors."

Announced as Independent Publisher of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022, Pushkin has been quietly bulking up, having already acquired Peter Owen Publishers and Angel Classics in the UK in 2023, while earlier this year Pushkin took over Steerforth Press in the US.