FOR RELEASE: July 13, 2022
Contact: Kate Lloyd
kate@kmlloydliterary.com
ASTRA PUBLISHING HOUSE ACQUIRES DAW, PREEMINENT PUBLISHER OF SCIENCE
FICTION AND FANTASY
New York, NY (July 13, 2022): Today Astra Publishing House announces that it has acquired DAW Books. Leying
Jiang, President and CFO of APH said, “We’re so thrilled to have DAW Books and its talented team joining Astra
Publishing House. It feels like we are adding another bright star to our growing program. And so this acquisition
marks a new milestone to Astra’s journey to a successful future.”
Founded in 1971, DAW Books–the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and
fantasy–boasts a backlist that includes Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, C. S. Friedman, C. J. Cherryh, Mercedes
Lackey, Kristen Britain, Melanie Rawn, and Tanith Lee. Until now, DAW has been a private company, owned
exclusively by its publishers Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert, partnered with and distributed by
Penguin Random House.
DAW co-publishers Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert said, “We are extremely pleased by Astra’s enthusiasm,
and thrilled that we will be the sole SFF imprint of their company (a first for DAW!). We think this is the perfect
fit for us, and it’s exciting and refreshing to be an integral part of a new and growing company. It speaks volumes
about Astra’s respect for our company that they have included our entire staff. We’re very happy.”
Astra Publishing House (formerly Thinkingdom LTD) has continuously expanded since it was established in 2016.
Its adult imprint, Astra House, publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In September 2021, the formation of Astra
Books for Young Readers, made up of six imprints, was announced. In February of this year, it was announced
that TOON Books, a publisher dedicated to comics and graphic books, would become the seventh imprint of
Astra Books for Young Readers.
Ben Schrank, COO of Astra Publishing House, said, “We’re so excited to have DAW join our group here at APH.
We have long been impressed with their amazing authors and unparalleled place in the pantheon of science
fiction and fantasy publishing. We can’t wait to help them build on their legacy so they can continue to publish
the very best books in their genre.”
David Lamb and Susan Reich of Book Advisors LLC initiated the transaction and served as lead investment
banking representative for DAW, alongside Kuo-Yu Liang of Ku Worldwide LLC. Alan J. Kaufman served as
counsel to DAW.
DAW, previously distributed by the Penguin division of Penguin Random House, will be distributed by the Penguin
Random House Publisher Services division which distributes all of Astra Publishing House books.
ABOUT DAW BOOKS
Founded in 1971 by veteran paperback editor Donald A. Wollheim, along with his wife, Elsie B. Wollheim, DAW
Books was the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy. Now over 50
years and 2,000 titles later, under the direction of co-publishers Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert, DAW has
a well-deserved reputation for discovering and publishing the hottest talents in the industry. Many stars of
the science fiction and fantasy field have graced the pages of a DAW book, including Patrick Rothfuss, Nnedi
Okorafor, Tad Williams, Seanan McGuire, Ben Aaronovitch, C. J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, Kristen Britain, Melanie
Rawn, C.S. Friedman, and Tanith Lee. DAW is strongly committed to discovering and nurturing new talent and
seeks to publish a wide range of voices and stories. Visit www.dawbooks.com or
www.astrapublishinghouse.com/imprints/daw-books.
ABOUT ASTRA PUBLISHING HOUSE
Astra Publishing House includes the adult literary imprint Astra House, dedicated to publishing the best nonfiction
and fiction writers from the US and also from around the world; Astra Books for Young Readers features seven
children’s book imprints, Astra Young Readers (formerly Boyds Mills Press), Calkins Creek, Hippo Park, Kane
Press, mineditionUS, TOON Books, and Wordsong; and Astra Magazine, a new international literary magazine.
Visit www.astrapublishinghouse.com.
CONTACT:
Kate Lloyd
kate@kmlloydliterary.com
07/13/22
www.astrapublishinghouse.com
