Rizzoli International Publications announced that it will acquire the assets of Welcome Books, an illustrated book publisher and the publishing imprint of Welcome Enterprises.

Jim Muschett, Rizzoli's associate publisher, will manage the acquired assets, revising and re-launching key titles, and publishing new books into the Welcome imprint, as a part of the Rizzoli and Universe programs.

All titles will continue to be sold and distributed domestically by Random House and internationally by Rizzoli, while incorporating and retaining the Welcome imprint. In total, close to 80 titles will be moving to Rizzoli in the deal, including books by Leonard Cohen, Maya Angelou, and Alice Waters.

Marco Ausenda, president and CEO of Rizzoli, and managing director of the international illustrated books division at RCS Libri said: “We are pleased to bring Welcome into Rizzoli. This is an excellent fit for us. We believe there is great potential for increased exposure and sales for the list particularly overseas. We expect the imprint to develop further and grow under our direction.”