HarperCollins has added another country to its international publishing network, establishing HarperCollins France. To create the new subsidiary, HC bought out the interest of Hachette Livre SA in Harlequin SA. The two parties had operated Harlequin SA for 30 years.
Emmanuelle Bucco-Cancès, managing director of the former Harlequin SA, will become managing director of HarperCollins France. Under HC ownership, HarperCollins France will continue to publish romance titles under the Harlequin imprint, while expanding its commercial trade publishing program with titles from HarperCollins, as well as local authors. Hachette will continue to handle distribution for the new HC France.
“We're excited to announce the formation of HarperCollins France and complete the rebranding of our Harlequin offices in Europe,” said Brian Murray, president and CEO of HC. The company began converting Harlequin international offices to HC subsidiaries shortly after its purchase of Harlequin in 2014, first expanding Harlequin’s Hamburg office into HarperCollins Germany in Fall 2014. With the formation of HC France, the publisher now has offices in 10 European countries that publish local authors in their native languages.
