Chambers Harrap
Chambers Harrap is a British reference-publishing brand known for Chambers dictionaries, bilingual Harrap dictionaries, language-learning resources, and related reference works.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Chambers Harrap is the publishing identity associated with the historic Chambers reference list and the Harrap language-reference list. Its origins lie in Edinburgh, where brothers William Chambers and Robert Chambers developed a bookselling and publishing business during the early nineteenth century. The brothers came from Peebles, Scotland, and moved to Edinburgh after their family’s finances deteriorated during the period of the Napoleonic wars. William entered bookselling as an apprentice, while Robert established a small bookseller’s shop on Leith Walk. They later joined forces and expanded from bookselling into printing and publishing. One of the brothers’ early publishing successes was an edition of Robert Burns’s songs, produced around 1819. Robert’s historical and antiquarian work, Traditions of Edinburgh, followed in 1824. Their major breakthrough came with Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal, launched in 1832. The inexpensive weekly combined material on history, religion, language, science, and general knowledge. Its circulation grew rapidly, helping establish the Chambers name as a vehicle for accessible educational and informative publishing. This emphasis on making knowledge broadly available remained central to the company’s identity. The company’s most important nineteenth-century reference project was Chambers’s Encyclopaedia, issued in weekly parts between 1859 and 1868. The encyclopaedia went through later editions and reached a particularly ambitious form in the mid-twentieth century, when the 1950 edition was published in fifteen volumes by George Newnes. Chambers also built a substantial list of English dictionaries, thesauruses, quotation books, biographical references, works on literary characters, science and technology references, historical works, school materials, crossword books, puzzle books, and games. The modern Chambers Harrap structure resulted from a series of corporate and publishing transactions. Chambers was acquired by Groupe de La Cité, part of CEP, in 1989. In 1992 it acquired George G. Harrap and Co., whose list was especially associated with bilingual dictionaries and language-learning materials. Harrap’s products included French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Polish bilingual dictionaries, as well as phrasebooks, slang dictionaries, study aids, and business-language references. CEP was acquired by Havas in 1997; Havas became part of Vivendi in 1998, and Vivendi sold its European book-publishing operations to Lagardère in 2002. The brand’s best-known continuing reference work is The Chambers Dictionary, a single-volume English dictionary distinguished by its breadth of vocabulary and, in some editions, an informal or humorous tone in selected definitions. The wider list includes dictionaries, thesauruses, language references, subject references, school books, crossword and puzzle publications, games, phrasebooks, and adult-learning materials. Chambers also acquired publishing rights connected with Jonathon Green’s slang reference work in 2007, leading to Chambers Slang Dictionary, published in 2008. On 1 January 2008, the company acquired the Brewer’s list from Orion Publishing Group, including Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Operationally, the business has been consolidated within larger publishing groups. The Edinburgh premises of Chambers Harrap Publishers were closed at the end of 2009. Chambers editorial and publishing management was subsequently handled from London by Hodder Education, while Harrap titles were transferred to Larousse in Paris. In 2013, Chambers moved into the John Murray division of Hodder. Allied Chambers, a related subsidiary, serves markets in and around India. The brand therefore combines a Scottish publishing heritage with contemporary ownership and distribution arrangements within the wider Hachette publishing network.
History
Chambers Harrap traces its history to the publishing partnership formed by William Chambers and Robert Chambers in Edinburgh. The brothers were born in Peebles, Scotland, but their family suffered financial hardship and moved to Edinburgh in 1813. William became a bookseller’s apprentice, while Robert opened a small shop on Leith Walk while still young. Their collaboration developed from bookselling into printing, binding, and publishing. Around 1819, the brothers printed and published an edition of The Songs of Robert Burns. The work benefited from Burns’s enduring popularity and gave the partnership an important early commercial success. Robert later wrote Traditions of Edinburgh, published by the brothers in 1824. Their business was shaped by a strong interest in education and public access to knowledge rather than by an exclusive focus on literary publishing. In 1832, the brothers launched Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal. The weekly publication presented relatively inexpensive articles on history, religion, language, science, and other general-interest subjects. Robert Chambers contributed extensively, and the journal’s circulation eventually rose to approximately 84,000 copies. Its success provided the financial base for a much larger publishing operation and established Chambers as a prominent educational and reference publisher. Between 1859 and 1868, the company issued Chambers’s Encyclopaedia in 520 inexpensive weekly parts. The first edition drew substantially on an English translation of the tenth edition of the German Konversations-Lexikon, later associated with the Brockhaus encyclopaedia tradition. Subsequent editions developed the work further. The 1950 edition, published in fifteen volumes by George Newnes, represented a major editorial and production undertaking, taking several years to prepare and involving more than two thousand contributors. Chambers’s reference programme also expanded into English dictionaries, thesauruses, quotations, biography, literary reference, science and technology, history, school books, and word games. The corporate history changed substantially in the late twentieth century. Chambers was acquired by Groupe de La Cité, part of CEP, in 1989. In 1992 it purchased George G. Harrap and Co. Harrap had a strong reputation for bilingual dictionaries, particularly Harrap’s Shorter French Dictionary, and also published phrasebooks, study aids, slang references, business dictionaries, and language titles covering several European languages. The combined identity became associated with both the Chambers English-reference tradition and the Harrap language-reference programme. CEP was acquired by Havas in 1997. Havas was subsequently acquired by Vivendi in 1998, and Vivendi sold its European book-publishing assets to Lagardère in 2002. During the following period, the business was increasingly managed through larger publishing divisions. In late 2009, the Edinburgh premises of Chambers Harrap Publishers were closed. Chambers editorial management moved to London under Hodder Education, while Harrap titles were transferred to Larousse in Paris. In 2013, Chambers became part of the John Murray division of Hodder. The list continued to be developed through acquisitions and extensions. At the end of 2007, Chambers Harrap acquired rights connected with Jonathon Green’s British slang dictionary, resulting in Chambers Slang Dictionary in October 2008. On 1 January 2008, it acquired the Brewer’s list from Orion Publishing Group, including Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Allied Chambers, a subsidiary, publishes for India and nearby markets. The brand’s continuing identity rests primarily on The Chambers Dictionary and on a broader portfolio of dictionaries, thesauruses, bilingual references, language-learning materials, school references, phrasebooks, crossword titles, puzzles, and games.
- 2013
Chambers transferred to John Murray
[1]The Chambers list moved into Hodder’s John Murray division.
- 2009
Edinburgh premises closed
[1]The parent company closed Chambers Harrap’s Edinburgh premises and reorganised operations around London and Paris.
- 2008
Chambers Slang Dictionary published
[1]The acquired slang reference appeared as Chambers Slang Dictionary.
- 2008
Brewer’s list acquired
[1]The company acquired the Brewer’s list from Orion Publishing Group, including Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
- 2007
Rights to Green’s slang dictionary acquired
[1]Chambers Harrap acquired rights to publish Jonathon Green’s major British slang reference work.
- 1992
Harrap joins the Chambers portfolio
[1]Chambers acquired George G. Harrap and Co., adding established bilingual dictionaries and language-learning references.
- 1989
Acquisition by Groupe de La Cité
[1]Chambers was acquired by Groupe de La Cité, part of CEP, beginning a period of integration into major European publishing groups.
- 1859
Chambers’s Encyclopaedia begins publication
[1]The encyclopaedia began appearing in weekly parts, with the complete first series issued between 1859 and 1868.
- 1832
Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal launched
[1]The weekly journal introduced accessible articles on history, religion, language, science, and general knowledge and became a major circulation success.
- 1824
Traditions of Edinburgh published
[1]Robert Chambers’s Traditions of Edinburgh was published by the brothers, demonstrating the firm’s early interest in local history and educational reference.
Products and positioning
Accessible, broad-ranging reference publishing with a strong emphasis on English dictionaries, language learning, bilingual reference, educational support, and word-based leisure products. Chambers is especially associated with comprehensive vocabulary coverage and distinctive, occasionally humorous dictionary definitions, while Harrap is associated with bilingual dictionaries and practical language learning.
English dictionary
The Chambers Dictionary
The Chambers Dictionary is the brand’s signature English-language reference title. It is known for combining extensive vocabulary coverage with a distinctive editorial voice. The work has traditionally included many unusual, historical, technical, regional, and colloquial words, and selected definitions may use wit or humour. It remains the clearest expression of Chambers’ identity as a comprehensive yet approachable dictionary publisher.
Encyclopaedia · 1859
Chambers’s Encyclopaedia
Chambers’s Encyclopaedia was the company’s landmark nineteenth- and twentieth-century general reference work. Its first edition was distributed in weekly parts from 1859 to 1868, while later editions expanded the editorial scope and production scale. The fifteen-volume 1950 edition represented a particularly substantial version of the project. The encyclopaedia is no longer published.
Bilingual dictionary
Harrap bilingual dictionaries
The Harrap list is associated with bilingual dictionaries for practical language use, including well-known French references and titles covering Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, and Polish. These works serve students, translators, travellers, adult learners, and general users who need vocabulary, usage, and translation support across languages.
Slang dictionary · 2008
Chambers Slang Dictionary
Chambers Slang Dictionary developed from the rights acquired for Jonathon Green’s British slang reference work. It documents informal, colloquial, historical, and subcultural vocabulary, providing contextual information about the development and use of slang. The Chambers edition extended the brand into a specialised area of language reference.
Phrase and cultural reference
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable was part of the Brewer’s list acquired from Orion Publishing Group in 2008. The work explains allusions, expressions, names, stories, customs, and cultural references. Its inclusion broadened Chambers Harrap’s catalogue beyond conventional dictionaries into literary, historical, and cultural reference.
Brand decisions
2013
Move Chambers into the John Murray divisionStrategyBackground
Further organisational integration followed the consolidation of Chambers operations under Hodder.
Action taken
The Chambers list was transferred to Hodder’s John Murray division.
Aftermath
Chambers continued as a reference imprint within a larger publishing-house structure.
2009
Consolidate operations away from EdinburghStrategyBackground
The parent company reorganised the business within a larger international publishing structure.
Action taken
The Edinburgh premises were closed, Chambers management was handled from London by Hodder Education, and Harrap titles were moved to Larousse in Paris.
Aftermath
The change reduced the brand’s direct operational presence in its historic Scottish home and aligned its lists with specialised publishing divisions.
2008
Acquire the Brewer’s publishing listM&ABackground
The acquisition expanded Chambers Harrap’s cultural-reference catalogue with an established phrase-and-fable reference programme.
Action taken
Chambers Harrap acquired the Brewer’s list from Orion Publishing Group, including Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
Aftermath
Brewer’s became part of the wider Chambers reference offering.
1992
Acquire George G. Harrap and Co.M&ABackground
Chambers sought to expand its reference portfolio beyond English-language dictionaries and general reference publishing.
Action taken
The company acquired George G. Harrap and Co., adding bilingual dictionaries, phrasebooks, study aids, and related language references.
Aftermath
The combined Chambers Harrap identity became associated with both English reference and multilingual language learning.
Recent events
- 2013
Chambers moves into the John Murray division of Hodder[1]
Other
The Chambers list was transferred into the John Murray division of Hodder, continuing the brand’s integration into a larger publishing structure.
- 2009
Chambers Harrap closes its Edinburgh premises[1]
Other
The parent company closed the Edinburgh premises of Chambers Harrap Publishers as operations were consolidated and publishing responsibilities were redistributed.
- 2008
Chambers Harrap acquires the Brewer’s list[1]
M&A
The company acquired the Brewer’s publishing list from Orion Publishing Group, including Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
- 1992
Chambers acquires George G. Harrap and Co.[1]
M&A
Chambers acquired the independent publisher George G. Harrap and Co., bringing a major bilingual-dictionary and language-learning list into the Chambers publishing portfolio.
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