Penguin Classics

Spines of a few older Penguin Classics.

Mission and history

Penguin Classics, which is a sector of Penguin Random House, was originally founded in 1946 in the United Kingdom. The publisher’s original mission was to publish exclusively classic works, such as Penguin Classic’s first publication, E. V. Rieu’s translation of The Odyssey.  After that book’s publication in 1946, E. V. Rieu actually went on to become editor of the press until 1964. Throughout the press’ history, there has been no notable mergers or acquisitions, but there have been a few different editors over time. After E. V. Rieu’s editorship from approximately 1944-1964, Betty Radice and Robert Baldick became joint editors on Penguin Classics. In 1974, Betty Radice became the solo editor and remained in her position until 1995. The current executive editor of Penguin Classics is John Siciliano.

E.V. Rieu

A portrait of E.V. Rieu, the first editor and contributor to Penguin Classics.

E.V. Rieu (1887-1972) was the editor of Penguin Classics for 20 years, and was a celebrated translator of Latin and Greek literature in the early days of Penguin Classics. Within the press, Rieu personally contributed to the publication of The Illiad, The Odyssey, and The Voyage of Argo.

Ownership and structure

Penguin Classics is ultimately owned by Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House, a member of the publishing “Big 5,” is one of the most successful and large publishing houses in the world. Penguin Random House has over 300 imprints, and Classics is one of the oldest and most beloved. According to the press itself, Penguin Random House partners with various non-profit organizations, including many library associations and literacy programs. In terms of size, Penguin Random House is notably large, employing approximately 10,000 people globally and publishing about 15,000 books each year.