Our Story

William Collins' dream of 'Knowledge for all' began with the publication of his first book in 1819. A self-educated mill worker, he not only enriched millions of lives, but also founded a flourishing publishing house.

The first Collins dictionary is printed. Collins goes on to publish a series of Collins Illustrated dictionaries, a Pocket Pronouncing Dictionary, and Gem dictionaries. Today, Collins is synonymous with dictionary publishing in the world.

The first Collins Atlas is published.

Collins becomes the publisher for the Scottish School Book Association and Irish National Schools, by 1875 buying out the Scottish School Book Association and supplying books directly to schools. Today, Collins Learning publishes books for schools around the world and still supplies schools in Scotland.

Collins publishes the first Gem, a Pocket Pronouncing Dictionary that has 608 pages and is 2½” x 4½” in size. The titles available in this small, pocket-size edition expand over the years to cover all manner of topics, and many are still produced today.

“Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie joins the house of Collins, and two years later publishes her seminal Hercule Poirot novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Agatha Christie becomes, and remains, the bestselling novelist of all time. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in 100 foreign languages. HarperCollins still publishes Christie today.

Collins is the first major publishing house to create its own font. The publisher hires printer and typographer Dr. Hans Mardersteig to design a typeface that will create a unique visual identity for the company. He develops Fontana, Collins’ iconic typeface, which is used for three decades.

William Collins and Sons purchases the publishing firm of Geoffrey Bles Ltd., gaining the rights to the works of C. S. Lewis, including his Chronicles of Narnia fantasy books. The Chronicles of Narnia series goes on to sell more than 100 million copies, in addition to spawning a BBC television series and three major movie productions.

The first Beginner Books by Dr. Seuss are published by Collins in the UK. This series includes The Cat in the Hat (which had been previously published by Collins in 1958 and was an immediate success) and Green Eggs and Ham.

News Corporation acquires William Collins Ltd., and brings together Collins, Harper & Row, Gower Publishing, Times Books, Bartholomew, and Angus & Robertson in a new worldwide group called Harper & Collins.

On May 29, 1990, HarperCollins becomes the new global name for the combined Harper & Row and Collins.

HarperCollins begins publishing operations in India, represented by Rupa & Co., a small independent publisher. In 2003, HarperCollins India enters a joint venture agreement with the Living Media group, the largest media conglomerate in India.

HarperCollins India becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers.

Collins India is launched as the educational division of HarperCollins Publishers India.

Continuing the legacy of 200 years, Collins strives to deliver up–to–date, engaging student resources and exceptional teacher support materials to help schools tackle new initiatives and utilise the latest technology.