Unsolved:Llewellyn Worldwide

Llewellyn Worldwide

Founded	1901
Founder	Llewellyn George
Country of origin	United States
Headquarters location	Woodbury, Minnesota
Distribution	self-distributed (US) Publishers Group UK (UK) Faradawn (South Africa) Akasha Books & Gifts (New Zealand) Brumby Sunstate (Australia)
Publication types	Books
Nonfiction topics	New Age
Official website	www.llewellyn.com

Llewellyn Worldwide (formerly Llewellyn Publications) is a New Age publisher, currently based in Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. Llewellyn's mission is to "serve the trade and consumers worldwide with options and tools for exploring new worlds of mind & spirit, thereby aiding in the quests of expanded human potential, spiritual consciousness, and planetary awareness."

History

Llewellyn Publications was formed in 1901 by Llewellyn George, in Portland, Oregon . At first, the company concentrated exclusively on Astrology, in the form of both books and annuals. Later, Llewellyn began to branch out into other New Age topics, such as alternative healing, psychic development, and earth-centered religions, among others. Llewellyn Publications grew steadily and was moved from Portland to Los Angeles, California in 1920. Owner and founder Llewellyn George died in 1954. The company was bought by Carl L. Weschcke in 1961, who moved the headquarters to St. Paul, Minnesota.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Llewellyn published books from authors such as Dion Fortune and Aleister Crowley writing on occult and other topics. President and publisher Weschcke founded a series of Gnostic Aquarian Festivals to help create a broader audience. Llewellyn went on to publish books such as Raymond Buckland's 1970 Practical Candleburning Rituals, Scott Cunningham's 1988 Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, and Ted Andrews' 1993 Animal Speak, a shamanistic guide to totem animals. The company also expanded into tarot decks, magical "kits," and materials for younger readers.

Declines in sales figures in 2001 spurred the company toward layoffs and a restructure of its sales and marketing departments in 2002. By the end of 2003's fiscal year, the company rebounded with $16 million in gross sales. In July 2005, Llewellyn moved its offices from St Paul to its current offices in the local suburb of Woodbury.

Weschcke describes the new location in Woodbury as "opening a new chapter" for Llewellyn's book business. "Books are the building stones of our culture and each generation adds to the edifice."

Today, the company features a wide offering of books by such noted authors as Scott Cunningham, Michael Newton, Donald Michael Kraig, Richard Webster, Karen Mehringer, and Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson, as well as the best-selling annual calendars, almanacs, and datebooks. They are also the exclusive North American distributor of tarot decks and other products from Italian publisher Lo Scarabeo.

On February 1, 2005, Llewellyn launched its first fiction imprint, Midnight Ink, printing a diverse line of mystery titles that includes cozies, amateur sleuth novels, and soft and medium-boiled suspense novels. Published authors include Sue Ann Jaffarian, Karen MacInerney, Leonard Goldberg, Catriona McPherson, Jessie Chandler, and Jess Lourey. Midnight Ink Books have also received numerous accolades, including Agatha Award nominations, IPPY Awards, and LOVEY awards.

On February 1, 2006, Llewellyn launched its second fiction imprint, Flux Books, young adult fiction that is independent, provocative, and original. Published authors include Maggie Stiefvater, Simone Elkeles, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Amanda Grace (a pen-name for author Mandy Hubbard), Kelsey Sutton, A.S. King, and Nick James. Flux titles have received numerous nominations, awards, and accolades, including Junior Library Guild selections, YALSA awards, Lambda Literary Awards, and IPPY Awards. Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles is a New York Times bestseller.