The Abacus list celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023 and has a reputation both for excellence and for major bestsellers. It is a literary list but also one of the most commercially successful imprints in publishing.
From non-fiction classics by Primo Levi and Nelson Mandela to memoir, ideas and history by writers like David Sedaris, Rachel Clarke (winner of the 2025 Women’s Prize), Malcolm Gladwell and Tom Holland; from cult literary icons like David Foster Wallace and Beryl Bainbridge to million-copy blockbuster novelists like Celeste Ng, Chris Brookmyre and Alexander McCall Smith, Abacus authors are united by their intelligence, wit, fresh perspectives on the world – and the power of their storytelling.
We have published many Sunday Times bestsellers and our authors have been recognised by major literary prizes – including Booker-shortlisted Jane Gardam, Simon Mawer, Chigozie Obioma, Women’s Prize winner Valerie Martin and Pulitzer Prize winner Donna Tartt. Abacus is dedicated to the long-term careers of its writers, and to making brilliant books into bestsellers.
