David & Charles
David & Charles is an independent British publisher focused on hobby, craft, lifestyle, wellbeing, gardening, transport and other specialist-interest books.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
David & Charles is an independent publishing company based in Exeter, England. Established in Newton Abbot on 1 April 1960 by David St John Thomas and Charles Hadfield, it initially built its reputation through books about Britain's canals, railways and transport history. The founders operated from a small hut in St John Thomas's garden before moving into Newton Abbot railway station and later using the station's locomotive shed as a warehouse as the business expanded. The company developed a distinctive position in specialist and enthusiast publishing. Its early programme included major railway and inland-waterway series, regional transport histories, travel and topographical works, and reprints of older technical and travel literature. The publishing list included The Canals of the British Isles, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Forgotten Railways, Railway History in Pictures and books by railway historians such as John Thomas and John Marshall. David & Charles also published travel and landscape titles, including Colin Baxter's Islands Series and Light and the Land books, as well as selected reissues of older works by authors including E. Temple Thurston and Fred T. Jane. The company broadened substantially in 1971 when it acquired Readers' Union, a network of book clubs serving enthusiasts of needlecraft, handicrafts, gardening, equestrian activities and photography. This acquisition shifted the business beyond its original transport emphasis and made hobby and practical-interest publishing central to its identity. Readers' Union membership reached a reported peak of 268,000 in 1992, when it was described as the largest privately owned book-club operation in the English-speaking world. David & Charles was sold to Reader's Digest in 1990 and later returned to management ownership through a 1997 management buy-out. In 2000 it was acquired by the American publishing company F+W Publications, subsequently known as F+W Media. The company adopted the F&W Media International name in 2010 while continuing to issue books under the David & Charles imprint, increasingly concentrating on crafts, making, home and lifestyle subjects. The rise of online retail and changing book-club economics led to the closure of the Readers' Union clubs in 2008. Their activities were replaced by the RUCraft ecommerce operation, which was renamed Stitch Craft Create in 2013. David & Charles also pursued digital commerce and online learning, including a 2013 UK ecommerce partnership with Burda Style and course-related work connected with the Royal School of Needlework and Kew Gardens. It later discontinued those collaborations. In 2021, the company published The Anti-Burnout Journal, a hybrid print and online-learning product by Bex Spiller. After F+W Media entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in March 2019, the publishing assets of F&W Media International were acquired through a management buy-out led by managing director James Woollam. A new company completed the transaction in July 2019 and restored the David & Charles name. The business subsequently expanded its specialist portfolio. In February 2024 it acquired the Veloce imprint, known for more than three decades of automotive and classic-car publishing. In October 2024, Kizzy Taylor-Richelieu became senior commissioning editor for Veloce, following a transition period supported by Veloce founder Rod Grainger. In January 2025, David & Charles launched Verbena Books, an imprint covering mindfulness, meditation, witchcraft, magic, lifestyle, wellbeing and nature. The launch extended the company's established interest in practical and enthusiast-led publishing into broader personal-development and spiritual-wellbeing categories. David & Charles therefore combines a historic specialist-book identity with a contemporary portfolio spanning craft, lifestyle, nature, wellbeing, transport and digital learning.
History
David & Charles was founded in Newton Abbot, England, on 1 April 1960 by David St John Thomas and Charles Hadfield. The founders' first employees worked from a hut in St John Thomas's garden. As the publisher grew, it moved into Newton Abbot railway station and eventually used the station's locomotive shed as a warehouse. The company's first identity was closely associated with specialist transport publishing, particularly Britain's canals and railways. Among its early programmes was The Canals of the British Isles, edited and partly written by Hadfield. Another important project was A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, a fifteen-volume series that began with a volume by St John Thomas. The success of the railway programme led to related series including Forgotten Railways and Railway History in Pictures. David & Charles also published books by railway historians such as John Thomas and John Marshall, along with travel, landscape and topographical works. Colin Baxter's Islands Series and Light and the Land books became notable examples of its photographic and regional publishing. The list also included reprints of older technical and travel works, early Baedeker country guides and Edwardian literature, including a 1968 reissue of E. Temple Thurston's The Flower of Gloster. From 1965 to 1970, David & Charles maintained an extensive American publishing relationship with Augustus M. Kelley. The American editions were generally close to the British editions but used altered dust jackets and publisher information. In 1971, the company acquired Readers' Union, a collection of book clubs aimed at enthusiasts of needlecraft, handicrafts, gardening, equestrian pursuits and photography. The acquisition substantially changed the balance of the publishing list. Practical hobbies and lifestyle subjects became increasingly important alongside the company's established transport interests. Readers' Union grew into a major specialist book-club operation. Membership reportedly peaked at 268,000 in 1992, when the organization was described as the largest privately owned book-club business in the English-speaking world. David & Charles was sold to Reader's Digest in 1990, but a management buy-out returned it to independent management in 1997. In 2000, it was acquired by the American company F+W Publications, later F+W Media. The business was renamed F&W Media International in 2010, although the David & Charles imprint continued to be used for new books. The company's later publishing programme focused increasingly on craft and lifestyle. In response to the growth of online retail, the Readers' Union book clubs closed in 2008 and were replaced by the RUCraft ecommerce operation. RUCraft became Stitch Craft Create in January 2013. The business also launched a UK ecommerce site in partnership with Burda Style in October 2013. In November 2015, it relocated from Newton Abbot to Pynes Hill in Exeter and completed the acquisition of the online sewing retailer SewandSo.co.uk. David & Charles also developed online learning products. It created and distributed course materials in partnership with the Royal School of Needlework and Kew Gardens, although those collaborations were later discontinued. In 2021, it published The Anti-Burnout Journal by Bex Spiller, its first multi-platform journal, combining physical journaling with an online course. The wider F+W group entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in March 2019. The publishing assets of F&W Media International were acquired through a management buy-out led by managing director James Woollam. A new company was formed in July 2019 to complete the transaction, after which the business returned to the David & Charles name. The company expanded its specialist imprint structure in the 2020s. In February 2024, it acquired Veloce, an imprint with more than thirty years of publishing experience in motoring, automotive history and classic cars. Veloce founder and former owner Rod Grainger provided consultancy support during the transition, and Kizzy Taylor-Richelieu became the imprint's Senior Commissioning Editor in October 2024. In January 2025, David & Charles launched Verbena Books. The imprint's initial list covered mindfulness, meditation, witchcraft, magic, lifestyle, wellbeing and nature, including books such as Shadow Work for the Soul Searcher, Hormone Goddess, Maiden, Warrior, Mother, Crone and The Witch-ionary. Verbena extended the company's long-standing interest in practical and enthusiast publishing into contemporary personal-development and spiritual-wellbeing categories.
- 2025
Verbena Books launches
[1]The new imprint debuts with books on wellbeing, spirituality, witchcraft, mindfulness, lifestyle and nature.
- 2024
Veloce is acquired
[1]David & Charles acquires the Veloce imprint, strengthening its automotive and classic-car publishing portfolio.
- 2021
The Anti-Burnout Journal is published
[1]David & Charles launches a hybrid print and online-learning journal by Bex Spiller.
- 2019
F+W bankruptcy and David & Charles buy-out
[1]F+W Media enters Chapter 11 proceedings; the international publishing assets are acquired through a management buy-out and the David & Charles name is restored.
- 2015
Relocation to Exeter and SewandSo acquisition
[1]The company moves to Pynes Hill in Exeter and acquires the SewandSo.co.uk online ecommerce business.
- 2013
RUCraft becomes Stitch Craft Create
[1]The ecommerce successor to Readers' Union is rebranded Stitch Craft Create.
- 2010
Business is rebranded F&W Media International
[1]The international operation adopts the F&W Media International name while continuing to publish under the David & Charles imprint.
- 2008
Readers' Union clubs close
[1]The traditional book clubs close as the business shifts toward online commerce, with RUCraft taking their place.
- 2000
Acquisition by F+W Publications
[1]The company is acquired by American publisher F+W Publications, later known as F+W Media.
- 1997
Management buy-out
[1]A management buy-out follows the company's period under Reader's Digest ownership.
Products and positioning
An independent specialist publisher serving enthusiast, practical-interest and lifestyle audiences. Its historical authority comes from transport, railway and canal publishing, while its current positioning emphasizes accessible craft, making, gardening, nature, wellbeing, spirituality, automotive and other interest-led content across print, ecommerce and selected digital-learning formats.
Specialist nonfiction publishing imprint · 1960
David & Charles
The core imprint publishes practical and enthusiast-oriented nonfiction. Its historical list was strongly associated with canals, railways, transport history, travel and regional topography. The modern programme places greater emphasis on crafts, making, gardening, nature, lifestyle, wellbeing and other accessible interest-led subjects, while retaining the company's specialist publishing heritage.
Automotive publishing imprint
Veloce
Veloce is an automotive and motoring imprint with a publishing history of more than thirty years. Its catalogue is associated with automotive subjects, classic cars, motoring history and practical expertise. David & Charles acquired the imprint in February 2024, adding a specialist transport and vehicle list to its wider portfolio.
Wellbeing and lifestyle publishing imprint · 2025
Verbena Books
Launched in January 2025, Verbena Books focuses on practical advice, reflective writing and expert guidance across mindfulness, meditation, witchcraft, magic, lifestyle, wellbeing and nature. Its opening list included Shadow Work for the Soul Searcher, Hormone Goddess, Maiden, Warrior, Mother, Crone and The Witch-ionary.
Hybrid journal and online course · 2021
The Anti-Burnout Journal
Written by Bex Spiller, this product combines a conventional pen-and-paper journal with an online course. It represents David & Charles's move beyond conventional books into multi-platform learning and guided personal-development content.
Craft ecommerce business · 2013
Stitch Craft Create
Stitch Craft Create was the renamed ecommerce successor to the Readers' Union book-club operation. It reflected the company's response to the shift from physical specialist book clubs toward online retail and craft-focused customer relationships.
Brand decisions
2025
Launch Verbena BooksProduct launchBackground
David & Charles was expanding its interest-led publishing model into personal development, spiritual practice, lifestyle and nature.
Action taken
The company introduced Verbena Books with an initial list covering mindfulness, meditation, witchcraft, magic, wellbeing and related subjects.
Aftermath
Verbena added a distinct contemporary wellbeing and spirituality identity to the company's imprint portfolio.
2024
Acquire the Veloce imprintM&ABackground
Veloce had an established catalogue and reputation in automotive, motoring and classic-car publishing.
Action taken
David & Charles acquired Veloce and retained publishing continuity through consultancy support from founder Rod Grainger.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened David & Charles's specialist portfolio and strengthened its presence in automotive publishing.
2021
Launch a multi-platform journalProduct launchBackground
The publisher was extending its traditional book expertise into digital learning and guided lifestyle content.
Action taken
It published The Anti-Burnout Journal by Bex Spiller, combining a physical journal with an online course.
Aftermath
The product illustrated a broader approach to publishing that integrated print and online learning.
2019
Complete a management buy-out after F+W bankruptcy proceedingsM&ABackground
F+W Media entered Chapter 11 proceedings in March 2019, creating uncertainty around the future of F&W Media International's publishing assets.
Action taken
A management buy-out led by managing director James Woollam acquired the publishing assets and completed the transaction through a new company in July 2019.
Aftermath
The business returned to the David & Charles name and continued as an independent publisher.
2013
Expand digital commerce through Burda StyleStrategyBackground
The company was developing online alternatives to the former Readers' Union model and seeking stronger digital access to craft customers.
Action taken
David & Charles launched a UK ecommerce site in partnership with Burda Style.
Aftermath
The partnership supported the company's transition toward online retail and digitally connected craft publishing.
2010
Rebrand the international operation as F&W Media InternationalStrategyBackground
Following its acquisition by F+W Publications, the business operated within the broader F+W corporate structure.
Action taken
The company adopted the F&W Media International name while continuing to publish books under the David & Charles imprint.
Aftermath
David & Charles remained visible as a publishing brand even as the operating company used the F&W identity.
2008
Replace Readers' Union clubs with ecommerceStrategyBackground
The growth of internet retailing weakened the relevance and operating model of traditional specialist book clubs.
Action taken
David & Charles closed Readers' Union's book clubs and replaced them with the RUCraft ecommerce business, later renamed Stitch Craft Create.
Aftermath
The change moved the company's customer and product activity toward online commerce and craft retail.
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