Pan Macmillan Takes a Stake in Indie Non-Fiction Publisher New River Books

What did Pan Macmillan buy? Pan Macmillan has acquired a stake in New River Books, an independent non-fiction publisher based in Islington, London. The company announced the deal on Friday, October 16, 2026. The size of the stake and the price were not disclosed.

New River will keep publishing independently under its two founders. The bigger operational change comes later: Pan Macmillan will take over New River's sales and distribution from July 2027, replacing its current arrangement with Hachette.

Who New River is

New River Books was founded in 2022 by Aurea Carpenter and Rebecca Nicolson, who previously ran Short Books. Its small team publishes about 12 books a year across self-development, social science, nature and lifestyle.

The list has punched well above its size. New River's debut title, Jessie Inchauspé's The Glucose Goddess Method, went straight to No. 1 in the non-fiction paperback charts. Sandra Parsons' Age Less (June 2025) and Sunna van Kampen's debut The Good, the Bad and the Healthy (January 2026) were both instant Sunday Times bestsellers.

The press also won UK and Commonwealth rights to Giulia Enders' Organ Speak, the follow-up to her international bestseller Gut, in a six-figure, multi-publisher auction. That book came out in April. Recent titles include Jacob Weisberg's Profiles in Cowardice and Come Rain or Shine by TV meteorologist Laura Tobin. The founders also credit their work with Hachette on bestselling Michael Mosley books.

What both sides said

Carpenter and Nicolson said it was "hugely exciting to be partnering with Joanna Prior and her outstanding team at Pan Macmillan," adding that New River would "benefit enormously from their support and top to tail expertise." They thanked David Shelley and the Hachette team they have worked with.

Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan, called New River "one of the most admired independent non-fiction publishers in the UK." She said the press publishes "with real flair and editorial intelligence, spotting talent and ideas early." She added: "Non-fiction is an area of growth and ambition for Pan Macmillan and New River is exactly the kind of publisher we want to be working with as we build on that momentum."

Pan Macmillan's non-fiction push

Pan Macmillan says that among the UK's five largest non-fiction publishers by value, it has grown the most in both value and market share year on year, with value sales up 9.3% (Nielsen Total Consumer Market, 2026 vs 2025). Taking a stake in a hit-making independent fits that strategy without folding the smaller house into an imprint.

The timeline

• Now: Pan Macmillan holds a stake; New River stays editorially independent under Carpenter and Nicolson.
• Until end of June 2027: Hachette continues to manage New River's sales and distribution.
• From July 2027: Pan Macmillan handles sales and distribution. The company says it will contact retailers in due course.

Why it matters for authors

A stake is a middle path. Rather than buying a small press outright, a big group can invest, take distribution, and leave the editorial team alone. For authors at a small press, that can mean bigger sales reach while keeping the same editors and the same list identity.

Distribution switches matter. When a publisher changes distributor, there is a handover period for retail listings, stock and metadata. Authors with New River books scheduled around mid-2027 may want to ask how the transition will be managed for their release.

Non-fiction is where the growth is. Pan Macmillan's own numbers show non-fiction value rising. Health, self-development and nature titles keep producing breakout bestsellers from small lists. Non-fiction authors weighing an independent press against a big house now have more hybrid options. PT's roadmap for self-publishing a non-fiction book covers the indie route.

Sources

• Pan Macmillan: Pan Macmillan acquires stake in New River Books (October 16, 2026)