Michael O'Mara Books

Michael O'Mara Books is a small, family-run British publishing house established in London in July 1985 by Michael O'Mara, an American expatriate from Philadelphia, and his British wife, Lesley. The company published its first book during its founding year and developed from a general non-fiction publisher into a multi-imprint house with a broad list for adults and children. It remains privately owned and is associated with an entrepreneurial, commercially minded approach to illustrated and accessible publishing. The company's early breakthrough came with The ITN Book of the Queen Mother by Alastair Burnet, its first publication, which reached the top of The Sunday Times bestseller list in 1985. O'Mara Books subsequently became particularly well known for biographies, autobiographies and memoirs involving prominent public figures. Its catalogue has included Roger Moore's My Word is My Bond, Craig Revel Horwood's In Strictest Confidence and Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story. The Diana title became one of the company's most important publications: originally issued in 1992 and later reissued in 2017, it became a major UK non-fiction bestseller and achieved substantial international sales. Alongside celebrity and royal biographies, the publisher has built a substantial list of popular non-fiction covering humour, language, general knowledge, lifestyle, science, television tie-ins and illustrated reference. Examples include the Wicked Wit series, I Before E (Except after C), I Used to Know That and the How to Think Like series. The company has also developed commercially successful interactive and gift-book formats, including Where's the Unicorn? and the A Million... colouring-book series. Its list has featured authors and subjects connected with public figures including José Mourinho, Michelle Heaton, Meghan Markle, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, as well as works such as The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell and Crown of Blood by Nicola Tallis. The business operates three principal publishing identities. The core Michael O'Mara Books list publishes non-fiction for a wide readership. Buster Books focuses on picture books and commercial non-fiction for children from infancy through approximately age eleven. Its titles include the Clever Kids series, Dr Maggie's Grand Tour of the Solar System, The Dinosaur Department Store, Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories and A Day in the Life of a Poo, Gnu and You. Buster Books also introduced Buster Wellbeing Books in 2021, extending the children's list into mindfulness and emotional wellbeing. LOM ART, established in 2015, is dedicated to art-led books, colouring, journals, mindfulness and gift publishing. The imprint has worked with artists and illustrators including Kerby Rosanes, Lulu Mayo, Emma Mitchell, Meera Lee Patel and Andrea Zanatelli. Its catalogue illustrates the company's interest in visually distinctive formats that sit between publishing, stationery, gifting and creative leisure. The company has reported publishing more than 150 new books annually across its imprints and has issued thousands of titles over its history. Its industry recognition includes the Independent Publishers Guild International Achievement Award in 2007 and the Lambeth Made Charter Mark Award for Best Apprenticeship Employer in 2021. In the same period, it joined the Publishing Declares initiative and introduced environmental messaging on new books, linking its publishing activity with support for environmental charities. Michael O'Mara Books is therefore positioned as an independent publisher combining high-profile trade non-fiction with children's, art, colouring and gift-book publishing.

Michael O'Mara Books was founded in London in July 1985 by Michael O'Mara, an American expatriate from Philadelphia, and his British wife, Lesley. The company published its first title in the same year: Alastair Burnet's The ITN Book of the Queen Mother. The book's appearance at the top of The Sunday Times bestseller list gave the new publisher an early commercial profile. During its subsequent development, the company established a strong position in biographies, autobiographies and memoirs. One of its defining publications was Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story, which became a major UK non-fiction bestseller and was later reissued. The publisher's wider biographical list has included books associated with figures such as Roger Moore, Craig Revel Horwood, José Mourinho, Michelle Heaton, Meghan Markle, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles. This part of the catalogue helped establish Michael O'Mara Books as a publisher willing to combine high-profile subjects with accessible trade formats. The company expanded beyond biography into humour, language, lifestyle, science, popular reference and television-related publishing. The Wicked Wit books, I Before E (Except after C), I Used to Know That and the How to Think Like series demonstrate its emphasis on approachable, giftable and often illustrated non-fiction. It also developed interactive and colouring products, including Where's the Unicorn? and Lulu Mayo's A Million... series. The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell and Crown of Blood by Nicola Tallis represent other strands of the list, spanning nature, wellbeing and popular history. Children's publishing became a distinct area through Buster Books, an imprint serving readers from birth to approximately eleven years old. Buster publishes picture books and commercial non-fiction, including the Clever Kids range and books such as Dr Maggie's Grand Tour of the Solar System and The Dinosaur Department Store. The imprint received Blue Peter Book Awards in successive years: Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories won in 2020, followed by A Day in the Life of a Poo, Gnu and You in 2021. In 2021, Buster also launched Buster Wellbeing Books, designed to introduce mindfulness and emotional wellbeing to children. In 2015, Michael O'Mara Books created LOM ART as an art-focused imprint. LOM ART publishes colouring books, creative journals, mindfulness products and illustrated gift books, and has worked with artists including Kerby Rosanes, Lulu Mayo, Emma Mitchell, Meera Lee Patel and Andrea Zanatelli. The imprint broadened the company's reach into creative leisure and stationery-adjacent publishing while maintaining an emphasis on visually distinctive books. By the 2020s, the company described its output as more than 150 new titles each year across three imprints, with thousands of books published since its foundation. Its industry recognition included the Independent Publishers Guild International Achievement Award in 2007 and the Lambeth Made Charter Mark Award for Best Apprenticeship Employer in 2021. Sustainability also became more visible in its corporate activity. Michael O'Mara Books became a founding signatory of Publishing Declares in 2021 and introduced a green logo for the backs of new books to identify support for environmental charities. The supported organizations cited by the company include the Young People's Trust for the Environment, Surfers Against Sewage, the People's Trust for Endangered Species, London Wildlife Trust, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, ClientEarth and the Bloom Association. Michael O'Mara Books remains a privately owned, family-run UK publisher with a broad trade list. Its identity rests on combining commercially prominent biographies and popular non-fiction with children's books, art-led publishing, colouring, journals and gift formats.

• 2021

  Buster Wellbeing Books launched

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Buster Books introduced a wellbeing line intended to make mindfulness accessible to children.

• 2021

  Publishing Declares signatory and apprenticeship award

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  The company became a founding signatory of Publishing Declares and received the Lambeth Made Charter Mark Award for Best Apprenticeship Employer.

• 2020

  Buster Books wins a Blue Peter Book Award

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories received a Blue Peter Book Award.

• 2015

  LOM ART established

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  The company launched LOM ART as an imprint for artist-led books, colouring, journals and gift publishing.

• 2007

  Independent Publishers Guild recognition

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  The company received the Independent Publishers Guild International Achievement Award.

• 1992

  Diana: Her True Story published

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story became a landmark publication in the company's biography and memoir programme.

• 1985

  Company founded and first book published

  [1]Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Michael O'Mara and Lesley O'Mara established the publishing house in London in July, and its first publication, The ITN Book of the Queen Mother, reached the top of The Sunday Times bestseller list.

An independent, family-run trade publisher focused on commercially accessible non-fiction, illustrated books, celebrity and historical biographies, children's publishing, art, colouring and gift formats.

• Adult non-fiction · 1985

  Biographies, autobiographies and memoirs

  A core part of the Michael O'Mara Books catalogue, covering royal, celebrity, entertainment and public-figure subjects. The list includes Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story, Roger Moore's My Word is My Bond and Craig Revel Horwood's In Strictest Confidence, alongside books connected with a range of contemporary cultural figures.

• Adult non-fiction

  Popular non-fiction and reference

  The company publishes accessible books on humour, language, general knowledge, lifestyle, science and popular history. Examples include the Wicked Wit series, I Before E (Except after C), I Used to Know That and the How to Think Like series, which packages subjects and public figures in an approachable reference format.

• Art and gift publishing · 2015

  Colouring, art and creative books

  LOM ART publishes artist-led colouring books, creative journals, mindfulness products and illustrated gift books. Its contributors have included Kerby Rosanes, Lulu Mayo, Emma Mitchell, Meera Lee Patel and Andrea Zanatelli. The line serves both adult colouring audiences and readers interested in creative self-care.

• Children's publishing

  Buster Books

  Buster Books is the company's children's imprint for readers from infancy through approximately age eleven. It publishes picture books, activity and commercial non-fiction, including the Clever Kids series, Dr Maggie's Grand Tour of the Solar System, The Dinosaur Department Store and award-winning titles such as Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories.

• Children's wellbeing publishing · 2021

  Buster Wellbeing Books

  Launched by Buster Books in 2021, this line focuses on mindfulness, emotional literacy and positive self-understanding for children. Feeling Good About Me, written by Ellen Bailey and Lesley Pemberton, was identified as an early title in the programme.

• 2021Publishing Declares

  United Kingdom

  Michael O'Mara Books became a founding signatory of Publishing Declares, an initiative associated with the Publishers Association that promotes awareness and action on sustainability issues affecting book and journal publishing.

  Outcome. The company also introduced a green logo on the backs of new books to identify support for environmental charities.

  Source

• 2021

  Expansion into children's wellbeing publishingStrategy

  Background

  Buster Books expanded its children's list beyond picture books and commercial non-fiction into mindfulness and emotional wellbeing.

  Action taken

  The company launched Buster Wellbeing Books, including Feeling Good About Me.

  Aftermath

  The new line gave the children's imprint a dedicated platform for books intended to support mindfulness and positive self-understanding.

  Source

• 2021

  Adoption of publishing sustainability measuresStrategy

  Background

  The company addressed environmental concerns relevant to the UK publishing industry through participation in Publishing Declares.

  Action taken

  It became a founding signatory and added a green logo to new books to highlight support for environmental charities.

  Aftermath

  The initiative connected selected publications with support for environmental organizations including ClientEarth, Surfers Against Sewage and London Wildlife Trust.

  Source

• 2015

  Launch of the LOM ART imprintStrategy

  Background

  The company sought to expand its publishing offer into artist-led books, colouring, journals, mindfulness and illustrated gifts.

  Action taken

  Michael O'Mara Books established LOM ART as a dedicated art-focused imprint.

  Aftermath

  The imprint broadened the company's creative and gift publishing programme and added work by artists and illustrators including Kerby Rosanes, Lulu Mayo and Emma Mitchell.

  Source

1. 1Michael O'Mara Booksen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Michael O'Mara Books official websitemombooks.com