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Nick Hern Books The UK's leading specialist theatre publishers and performing rights agents. In 1990 the NHB imprint was taken on by Random House. www.nickhernbooksblog.com

Nick Hern Books came into being in June 1988, when Mr Nick Hern left Methuen to set up his own imprint under the aegis of Walker Books. It became a fully independent company on 1 January 1993 when Nick Hern acquired the list from Random House, and he subsequently won the Sunday Times 'Small Publisher of the Year Award' in 1994. The first title published by Nick Hern Books was Nicholas Wright’s Mrs

. Klein, which opened at the National Theatre in August 1988 before transferring to the West End and Broadway. There followed plays by Caryl Churchill, Arthur Miller, Mike Leigh and Stephen Sondheim, alongside theatre books by Simon Callow, Michael Coveney and Antony Sher. Follow NHB on Twitter:

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After more than thirty-five years since he founded Nick Hern Books, Nick Hern is stepping back from day-to-day involveme...
16/07/2025

After more than thirty-five years since he founded Nick Hern Books, Nick Hern is stepping back from day-to-day involvement – with a new leadership team appointed to continue his remarkable legacy.

Over a publishing career spanning more than fifty years, Nick has played a unique role in shaping contemporary theatre publishing. After a period as Drama Editor at Methuen, he founded Nick Hern Books in 1988, establishing it as a champion of new writing, and publishing a vast range of plays by both emerging and established playwrights. He also oversaw an influential list of practical theatre books, making NHB an essential resource for practitioners, students, educators and audiences alike. Nick will now assume the role of Founder, and will continue to take an interest in NHB, providing continued advice and support.

Under Nick’s leadership, NHB has become known for its distinctive commitment to quality, accessibility and the creative life of the theatre community. The NHB list includes multiple winners of theatre’s highest accolades including Olivier Awards, Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. NHB-published plays are also taught as set texts for GCSE, A level and various other accredited qualifications. NHB publications have been recognised with industry awards including multiple Theatre Book Prizes, the Sheridan Morley Prize for Theatre Biography, and Music and Drama Education Awards. The company was shortlisted for Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year at the 2019 and 2023 Independent Publishing Awards, having previously won the Sunday Times Small Publisher of the Year Award in 1994.

Matt Applewhite has been appointed to the dual role of Publisher and CEO. Matt, who has been with NHB for over two decades, has played a central role in shaping the company’s output, operations and strategic direction as both Commissioning Editor and Managing Director.

Jon Barton becomes Chief Operating Officer, moving from his previous role as Head of Sales and Marketing. Within the editorial team, Maddie Hindes has been promoted from Associate Editor to Commissioning Editor for Plays.

Read more on our website: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/leadership-changes-at-nhb-as-nick-hern-steps-back

We're proud to publish the The Royal Court Theatre Young Playwrights Award Winners 2025.The six winning plays have been ...
11/07/2025

We're proud to publish the The Royal Court Theatre Young Playwrights Award Winners 2025.

The six winning plays have been published in a volume available as a free-to-download digital PDF.

These brilliant, accomplished plays were chosen from over one hundred and fifty entries submitted by young writers aged 13–18 from all over London, and are being performed as staged readings by professional actors during the Young Playwrights Award Festival at the Royal Court this week.

Read for FREE here: https://nickhernbooks.co.uk/royal-court-young-playwrights-award-winners-2025

As June draws to a close, here's to the seven brilliant plays we've published this month!Learn more about them – along w...
27/06/2025

As June draws to a close, here's to the seven brilliant plays we've published this month!

Learn more about them – along with the rest of our recent publications – on our website:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/new-titles

To mark celebrations, we're giving you a special chance to add to your collection of bookshelf favourites.Get 40% off ...
24/06/2025

To mark celebrations, we're giving you a special chance to add to your collection of bookshelf favourites.

Get 40% off on this hand-picked selection of just some of the fantastic LGBTQ+ writing by NHB authors, using code NHBPRIDE.
🌈 https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/nhbpride

📢 WE'RE HIRING! 📢We're looking for a highly organised, detail-oriented Production Controller to oversee the production p...
20/06/2025

📢 WE'RE HIRING! 📢

We're looking for a highly organised, detail-oriented Production Controller to oversee the production process of our new titles and ensure the ongoing availability of our backlist.

If you have existing production experience and are seeking a new challenge or the next step in your career, this is an exciting opportunity to join a small, dedicated team at a vibrant and dynamic independent publishing house which sits at the heart of the UK theatre industry.

⏲ Full time, permanent position
💰 £38,000 per annum

Applications must be with us by noon BST on Monday 7 July at the latest, with interviews conducted during the week commencing Monday 14 July.

See more and apply at www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/jobs

As May draws to a close, here's to the nine brilliant plays we've published this month!Learn more about them – along wit...
30/05/2025

As May draws to a close, here's to the nine brilliant plays we've published this month!

Learn more about them – along with the rest of our recent publications – on our website:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/new-titles

April may have come and gone, but the five brilliant plays we’ve published this month are here to stay! Learn more about...
01/05/2025

April may have come and gone, but the five brilliant plays we’ve published this month are here to stay!

Learn more about them – along with the rest of our recent publications – on our website: https://nickhernbooks.co.uk/new-titles

Out now – The Dyslexic Actor's Toolkit by Deborah Groves.Discover a range of techniques to tackle common challenges, imp...
24/04/2025

Out now – The Dyslexic Actor's Toolkit by Deborah Groves.

Discover a range of techniques to tackle common challenges, improve your creative practice, and fulfil your ambitions.

Inside, you'll find loads of practical information and advice on:
✔ Understanding your dyslexic identity – so you can learn and perform at your best, and unlock your full potential.
✔ Developing the key skills you need as an actor – such as text work, line-learning, movement, voice, Shakespeare and more.
✔ Managing your acting career – including preparing for auditions, taking care of your wellbeing, and organising your time and finances.

See more: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/dyslexic-actors-toolkit

We're proud to reveal that we'll be publishing Stephen Sondheim’s final work, Here We Are, alongside its UK premiere at ...
23/04/2025

We're proud to reveal that we'll be publishing Stephen Sondheim’s final work, Here We Are, alongside its UK premiere at the National Theatre.

Inspired by the films of Luis Buñuel and written in collaboration with playwright David Ives, Here We Are is a ‘cool and impossibly chic’ (New York Times) surrealist satire of American high society, in which a group of friends attempt to enjoy a meal out together but encounter a series of increasingly strange events. First staged in New York in 2023, it is published for the first time alongside a run at the National Theatre featuring an all-star cast including Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock) and Rory Kinnear (Skyfall).

Sondheim is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential figures in 20th-century musical theatre. Winner of multiple accolades – including eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Olivier Award, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama – he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. He died in November 2021 at the age of 91. Here We Are is his final work.

Enjoy the full book and lyrics, plus a substantial essay by co-author David Ives on 'Writing with Sondheim'.

Pre-order your copy now via our website: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/here-we-are

Copies will also be available at the venue throughout the run.

Are you a young writer? Don’t miss this chance to have your play performed at The Royal Court Theatre and published by N...
17/04/2025

Are you a young writer? Don’t miss this chance to have your play performed at The Royal Court Theatre and published by Nick Hern Books.

Submissions are now open for the Young Playwrights Award competition to young people aged 13 – 18 living in London. If you win, your play will be performed at the Royal Court in July – and published by Nick Hern Books! You can also access creative resources and a video course to help every writer’s journey, whether solo or with your school or group.

For its pilot year in 2025, the Award is open to any 13-18 year-old living or attending education in Greater London.

Entries close on 2 May 2025.

To find out more, visit: https://royalcourttheatre.com/young-playwrights-award/

As The Years nears the end of its West End run, don’t forget you can still get your copy of Eline Arbo’s remarkable stag...
16/04/2025

As The Years nears the end of its West End run, don’t forget you can still get your copy of Eline Arbo’s remarkable stage adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s critically acclaimed book Les Années.

‘Exquisitely mysterious, like life itself’
★★★★ Telegraph

Les Années (The Years) is Annie Ernaux’s critically acclaimed ‘masterpiece’ (Guardian), charting a woman’s personal and political life against the backdrop of a rapidly changing post-war Europe.

Eline Arbo’s inventive stage adaptation was premiered as De Jaren by Het Nationale Theater in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2022, with a cast of five women collectively bringing to life an unapologetic portrait of one woman, and a whole continent. Arbo directed her adaptation at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2024, in an English language version by Stephanie Bain – with reference to translations by Alison L. Strayer and Tanya Leslie.

The Years transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End earlier this year, produced by Sonia Friedman Productions.

Get your copy of the script at the venue or online: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/the-years

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