Magic Cat Teams Up With Candlewick Press on a New Children's Imprint

Jamie Oliver, Robert Macfarlane and Annie Atkins will have new titles on the launch list of a new children's imprint, Publishers Marketplace reported. The imprint, Magic Cat Publishing at Candlewick Press, is due to launch in 2027.

An imprint is a branded label inside a larger publishing company. It has its own list of books and its own editors, but the parent house handles much of the business behind it. Here, the UK children's publisher Magic Cat has partnered with Candlewick Press, the US house founded in 1992 and based in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Under the arrangement, Candlewick will sell and distribute Magic Cat's books across North America. Distribution means getting the books into shops and libraries, and handling the orders and deliveries that follow. Candlewick Press now lists the new imprint on its official imprints page.

Rachel Williams is cofounder and managing director of Magic Cat. Andrew Smith is senior vice president and publisher of Candlewick Press.

Publishers Weekly reported that the inaugural fall 2027 list is expected to include 20 titles. A fall list is the batch of books a publisher releases in the autumn season, which is one of the busiest times of year for children's books as families look for gifts and classroom reading.

For readers in North America, the practical change is simple to describe. Books from Magic Cat's authors will reach shops and libraries through Candlewick's sales and distribution network. For readers in the UK, the announcements do not describe any change to how Magic Cat itself works.

The launch is still more than a year away.