HarperCollins announced a campaign to commemorate its 200th anniversary — beginning with the creation of J. & J. Harper, Printers in 1817 — focused around a new website. Anniversary events will include a campaign to support literacy and reading, charity projects, and an exhibition of historical items at the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New York City.
The site is organized into five sections, including: The HarperCollins 200 is a collection of Harper titles curated by booksellers and librarians from around the world; Inside the Archives, presenting images of story notes from authors, correspondence, photographs, original manuscripts, and more; and Why I Read, short responses from Harper authors including Michael Chabon, Neil Gaimon, Hillary Mantel, Emma Donaghue, and others.
CEO Brian Murray said of the anniversary, “We’re excited to celebrate this milestone anniversary and give thanks to the employees, authors, librarians, booksellers, and consumers who’ve been instrumental in helping HarperCollins become a part of the global literary culture over the last 200 years.”