TeresitaPennell at 23:16, 29 March 2026

2026-03-29T23:16:51Z

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{{Short description|British publisher of non-fiction books}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox publisher
| image = DK (2020).svg
| image_size = 150px
| parent = [[Penguin Random House]]
| status =
| founded = {{start date and age|1974}}<br />[[London]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
| founders = [[Christopher Dorling]]<br />[[Peter Kindersley]]
| successor =
| country = United Kingdom
| headquarters = [[Shell Mex House|80 Strand]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dk.com/uk/|title=DK UK|website=dkbooks}}</ref><br />[[London]], England, UK
| distribution =
| keypeople =
| publications =
| topics =
| genre =
| imprints = Alpha, DK Eyewitness Travel, DK Children’s, DK Adult, DK Licensing, DK Learning, Phonic Books, Rebel Girls
| numemployees = 750
| nasdaq =
| url = {{URL|https://www.dk.com/}}
}}

'''Dorling Kindersley Limited''' (branded as '''DK''') is a British multinational [[publishing]] company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=https://www.dk.com/uk/information/about-dk/|title=About DK|website=dkbooks}}</ref>
It is part of [[Penguin Random House]], a subsidiary of German media conglomerate [[Bertelsmann]].
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including [[Eyewitness Travel Guides|DK Eyewitness Travel]]), history, geography, science, space, nature, sports, gardening, cookery, parenting and many others.
DK has offices in New York, Melbourne, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto, Madrid, Beijing, and Jiangmen.
DK works with licensing partners such as [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]], [[Lego|LEGO]], [[DC Comics]], the [[Royal Horticultural Society]], [[MasterChef]], and the [[Smithsonian Institution]].
DK has commissioned authors such as [[Mary Berry]], [[Monty Don]], [[Robert Winston]], Huw Richards, and [[Steve Mould]] for a range of books.

==History==
[[File:DK logo 2014.svg|150px|thumb|Logo, 2014–2020]]
DK was founded in 1974 by [[Christopher Dorling]] and [[Peter Kindersley]] in London as a [[book packaging|book packager]]. Its first book as a publisher in the UK was ''First Aid Manual'' for the British voluntary medical services.<ref>British Red Cross Society, St. John Ambulance, St. Andrews Ambulance, ''First Aid Manual'', 1982, {{isbn|0863180019}}</ref> In 1988, DK Inc. published the first Eyewitness book. DK Inc. began publishing in the United States in 1991. That same year, [[Microsoft]] bought a 26 percent stake in DK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/Thomson_M&A/Microsoft_Corp_acquires_a_minority_stake_in_Dorling_Kindersley_Ltd-196674040 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803093908/http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/Thomson_M%26A/Microsoft_Corp_acquires_a_minority_stake_in_Dorling_Kindersley_Ltd-196674040 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-08-03 |title=Microsoft Corp acquires a minority stake in Dorling Kindersley Ltd |date=1991-03-18 |publisher=[[Thomson Financial]] |access-date=2008-10-30 }}</ref> In 1996, DK hired Neal Porter, Richard Jackson and Melanie Kroupa from [[Orchard Books]] to start the DK Ink imprint, but [[Grolier]] sued the trio.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/25/business/not-the-usual-farewell-editors-quit-and-are-sued.html | title=Not the Usual Farewell: Editors Quit and Are Sued | newspaper=The New York Times | date=25 November 1996 | last1=Mansnerus | first1=Laura }}</ref> DK and Grolier settled the lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19970710/38655-grolier-dk-settle-8-million-tampering-suit.html | title=Grolier, DK Settle $8 Million Tampering Suit }}</ref>

In 1999, DK overestimated the market for ''[[Star Wars]]'' books and was left with millions of unsold copies, resulting in crippling debt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/616623.stm |website=www.bbc.co.uk |title=Star Wars book flop hits DK |date=24 January 2000 |publisher=BBC |access-date=17 October 2015 }}</ref> As a direct result, DK was taken over the following year by the [[Pearson plc]] media company and made part of [[Penguin Group]], which also owned the [[Penguin Books]] label.<ref>{{cite news |author=Charles Goldsmith |title=Media Giant Pearson Acquires U.K. Publisher Dorling Kindersley |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB954699553231714048 |access-date=17 October 2015 |work=The Wall Street Journal |publisher=Dow Jones & Company, Inc |date=3 April 2000}}</ref> DK has continued to sell ''Star Wars'' books after the takeover.<ref>{{citation|title=Cover Stories: Political memoirs; the environmental Bible; Dorling Kindersley|work=[[The Independent]]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/cover-stories-political-memoirs-the-environmental-bible-dorling-kindersley-828940.html|author=The Literator|date=16 May 2008}}</ref>

In 2013, Bertelsmann and Pearson completed a merger to form Penguin Random House.<ref>{{citation|title=Bertelsmann And Pearson Complete Merger To Form Penguin Random House|publisher=The Random House Group|url=http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/news/2013/07/bertelsmann-and-pearson-complete-merger-to-form-penguin-random-house|date=1 July 2013|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924111759/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/news/2013/07/bertelsmann-and-pearson-complete-merger-to-form-penguin-random-house|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bertelsmann owned 53% and Pearson 47% of the company. Penguin's trade publishing activity continued to include DK under the newly formed Penguin Random House.<ref>{{citation|title=CEO Markus Dohle Announces Penguin Random House Global Leadership Team|publisher=Penguin Random House Group|url=http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com/press-release/ceo-markus-dohle-announces-penguin-random-house-global-leadership-team/|date=1 July 2013}}</ref>
In July 2017, Pearson agreed to sell a 22% stake in the business to Bertelsmann, thereby retaining a 25% holding.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40566637|title=Pearson shares hit by Penguin stake sale|date=2017-07-11|access-date=2020-01-09|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/11/pearson-sells-50-shades-of-grey-publisher-penguin-random-house-bertelsmann|title=Pearson sells slice of Penguin for $1bn|last=Sweney|first=Mark|date=2017-07-11|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-09|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
In December 2019, Bertelsmann agreed to acquire Pearson's 25% in Penguin Random House, and therefore DK, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8546649/bertelsmann-penguin-random-house|title=BMG Parent Bertelsmann to Acquire Full Stake in Penguin Random House|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2020-01-09}}</ref>
In 2019, Prima Games was sold to Asteri Holdings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/79526-dk-sells-prima-games-digital-assets.html|title=DK Sells Prima Games Digital Assets |website=Publishers Weekly |access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref>

==Publications==
{{See also|List of publications of Dorling Kindersley}}
DK publishes a range of titles internationally for adults and children. Most of the company's books are published with "DK" named as the author, as they are produced by teams of editors, designers and cartographers who work with freelance writers and illustrators. Some are endorsed by "imprimaturs": such as the [[British Medical Association]], the [[Royal Horticultural Society]] and the [[British Red Cross]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

===BradyGames===
BradyGames was a publishing company in the United States operating as a DK [[imprint (trade name)|imprint]], which specializes in video game [[strategy guides]], covering multiple [[Video game console|video game platforms]]. It published its first strategy guide in November 1993 as a division of [[Macmillan Publishers (United States)|MacMillan Computer Publishing]]. In 1998, [[Simon & Schuster]] (which acquired Macmillan in 1994) divested BradyGames as part of its educational division to [[Pearson plc]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/04/business/pearson-revises-simon-schuster-deal.html|title=Pearson Revises Simon & Schuster Deal|newspaper=The New York Times|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=4 July 1998}}</ref> BradyGames has grown to publish roughly 90 to 100 guides per year.

On 1 June 2015, BradyGames merged with [[Prima Games]], and future strategy guides made by the publishing company were published under the Prima Games label,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Two big video game strategy guide makers become one|url = http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/1/8700953/prima-games-and-bradygames-merger|website = Polygon|date = June 2015|access-date = 2015-06-02}}</ref> which was sold to Asteri Holdings in 2019.

===Young adult===
DK commenced publishing books aimed at teens with the release of ''Heads Up Psychology'' in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/62061-dk-enters-the-teen-market-with-nonfiction-line.html |website=www.publishersweekly.com |title=DK Enters the Teen Market with Nonfiction Line |author=Sally Lodge |date=29 April 2014|publisher=PWxyz LLC |access-date=17 October 2015 }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal |Children's literature}}
* [[Cartopedia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Dorling Kindersley}}
* {{official|https://www.dk.com}}

{{Penguin Random House}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Book packagers]]
[[Category:Kindersley family]]
[[Category:Former Microsoft subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Penguin Random House]]
[[Category:Travel guide books]]

Dorling Kindersley - Revision history

TeresitaPennell at 23:16, 29 March 2026