Little, Brown and Company

Little, Brown and Company

A Publishing House That Shaped Classics and Defined American Literature

Overview of the Publishing House

Little, Brown and Company is one of the oldest and most influential publishing houses in the United States. Founded in 1837 in Boston, it has played a pivotal role for nearly two centuries in shaping the American literary and intellectual landscape.

Founding and Early History

The house was founded by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown. It began its journey by publishing legal and academic works, then gradually expanded into general literature and intellectual titles, paving the way for its transformation into a leading literary publisher.

Transition to Literary Publishing

By the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the company had firmly established itself as a major publisher of American literature, with a strong focus on fiction, intellectual nonfiction, and biographies, becoming a key reference in both serious and commercial publishing.

Notable Authors Associated with the House

The name of the publishing house has been associated with many influential American and international authors, including J. D. Salinger, Donna Tartt, Malcolm Gladwell, James Patterson, David Foster Wallace, and Michael Connelly, along with many other prominent literary figures.

A Distinct Place in American Literary History

The house holds a unique position as the historic publisher of The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most influential works of modern American literature, which significantly enhanced the company’s global reputation.

Mergers and Institutional Expansion

Little, Brown and Company has gone through several stages of institutional development, eventually becoming part of the Hachette Book Group, a move that strengthened its international reach and distribution capabilities.

Current Publishing Focus

Today, the company publishes a wide range of titles, including literary and commercial fiction, biographies and memoirs, intellectual and social nonfiction, as well as books on politics and economics, with a strong and consistent presence on bestseller lists.

Headquarters and Global Reach

The publishing house is headquartered in New York City, and its titles are distributed worldwide, with a strong presence in the American, European, and international markets.

Cultural and Intellectual Impact

Little, Brown and Company has contributed to publishing works that shaped the thinking of generations of readers and played a major role in defining American literary culture, making it one of the historical pillars of the global publishing industry.