A modern classic

"What does a tickle look like?" was the question asked by a young boy of his father in 1971 that spawned Roger Hargreaves to create Mr. Tickle, with his impossibly long arms and big toothy grin. And so was born a series of characters beloved the world over.

The little square format Mr. Men and Little Miss storybooks were an instant success, selling more than one million copies in the first three years. The books found even greater fame when a BBC television series came about in 1975. There are now 51 Mr. Men and 36 Little Misses entertaining readers worldwide.

The affection felt for the assortment of diverse characters by the generations raised with these books is stronger today than ever before. One of our primary focuses for this immensely popular property is merchandising for the teen and young adult market. Style guides have been created to give a versatile, contemporary fashion-forward approach to clothing, accessories and other core licensing categories that appeal to the original audience who grew up charmed by the Mr. Men and Little Miss stories.

Books: 100+ million books sold in over 30 countries. Over 8 million copies are sold worldwide annually. Roger Hargreaves is the number one selling character books author in the UK (Nielsen Bookscan top 5000 books 2007).

Merchandising: Over 200 licensees worldwide in all categories from apparel to homeware.

Onlne: New website geared towards 18-35 year olds is at www.ilovemrmen.co.uk and .com. The site has links to buy product online as well as free messenger icons, a myspace toolkit and bebo skins.

For a whole new generation!

Based on the original Mr. Men and Little Miss books by Roger Hargreaves, The Mr. Men and Little Miss children's line is a fresh contemporary style designed to re-imagine the property to appeal to today's children. Some of the characters have been refreshed and some completely re-worked - but all remain true to the essence of the original creations. With a super-saturated colour palette, rich new designs and environments, the children's line is a welcome new addition to the sensationally popular brand.

The children's line is best show-cased in The Mr. Men Show, the first animated show to bring sketch comedy to young children. With a blend of physical humour and verbal wit, the show is a side-splitting, fast-paced refreshing addition to the children's media landscape. Twenty-five characters feature in the series, all living in the hilarious town of Dillydale. The Mr. Men Show also has a vibrant, award-winning website featuring the characters, animation, games and much more.

Faithful to the iconic visual identity of the original series, The Mr. Men and Little Miss children's line promises to continue the brand's humorous celebration of what it is to be human for generations to come.

TV: 52 x 11 min episodes airing in the US - Cartoon Network; UK - Five's Milkshake; France - France 5; Australia - ABC Kids; Portugal - RTP; Canada - YTV; and more...

Merchandising: Fisher Price is master toy licensee; first toy product launch Autumn 2008 (UK); Autumn 2009 (rest of world). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the global DVD partner, launching Autumn 2008 in the UK and France.

Online: A laugh-out-loud website at www.mrmen.com includes highly engaging games, video clips, music videos, downloads, and screensavers for each character.

Celebrating 60 years with a bigger place to play!

Noddy, first written and created by Enid Blyton in 1949, is the little wooden boy with the jingly blue hat and nodding head, and is one of the most beloved children's characters of the modern era. Noddy is probably now best known to young audiences for the TV series, Make Way For Noddy. The fun and humorous stories help children to learn social values and simple life lessons. Loved in every corner of the globe, Noddy's popularity with pre-school children has created an impressive worldwide licensing and publishing business, as well as an award-winning website, and sell-out live shows.

To celebrate Noddy's 60th Anniversary in 2009, Chorion is debuting a brand new series of 52 episodes called Noddy In Toyland. This new series brings Noddy and his Toyland friends to life in a larger, fresh and energetic setting and will capture the hearts and minds of pre-school children for many years to come.

TV: 52 x 11' Noddy In Toyland,100 x 10' Make Way For Noddy; 100 x 2' Say It With Noddy (language learning); 3 x 22' specials; sold to more than 100 countries including US (PBS), UK (Five), France (France 5/Tiji) and Germany (Nick Jr).

Books: Translated into 40 languages; 3 Noddy million books sold annually worldwide.

Merchandising: Over 200 licensees and 1,000 products globally; #3 property in France and #1 in Portugal.

Live: Noddy Live sell-out theatre and arena performances in the UK, France and Portugal.

Online: Website at www.noddy.com; ten sites created including French, German and Japanese; 150k monthly visitors globally.

Peter, Jemima, Benjamin and Tom

A classic tale of a global brand with timeless appeal, over a century of merchandise and a rabbit named Peter. The World of Beatrix Potter is the oldest children's character property - The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first published in 1902 and has never been out of print since!

The enduring appeal of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck, Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten and other characters has not diminished. The property is worth over $500 million per annum worldwide at retail with a significant licensing programme and a growing list of almost 400 high profile licensees.

Peter Rabbit Naturally Better is a new initiative backed by a Corporate Social Responsibility Charter, to take into account increasing concerns on the part of all our customers about the world in which we live and do business.

Peter Rabbit Naturally Better works with licensees to develop products which are:
Better for the environment
Better for mothers and children
Better for the people who make them
Peter Rabbit - a timeless classic!

TV: The World of Beatrix Potter and Friends 9 x 30 mins animated series.

Books: Over 150 million books sold worldwide and translated into 35 languages. Centenary publishing until 2030.

Merchandising: 400 licensees worldwide across all product categories. First Peter Rabbit Naturally Better products launched in 2007.

Online: Available in English, French, German and Japanese www.peterrabbit.com

Live: The Royal Ballet performance of The Tales of Beatrix Potter at the Royal Opera House. Premier Stage Productions national tour of The Tales of Peter Rabbit through 2009.

50 and stronger than ever!

Since Mr. and Mrs Brown first found Paddington at Paddington Station he has undeniably become one of the world's most famous bears, loved by generation after generation.

First published in 1958, A Bear Called Paddington is a classic of British literature and Paddington titles have now sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. Building on the success of the 50th anniversary in 2008, Harper Collins continue to develop extensive publishing programmes including the brand new novel, Paddington Here and Now, which has featured consistently in top 10 bestseller lists.

Paddington first appeared on television in 1975 in the stop-motion puppet animation series made in the UK by FilmFair narrated by the wonderfully distinctive voice of Sir Michael Hordern. Imagery from this iconic series is ideal for fun and funky products for tweens and teens.

Warner Bros Pictures will be making the first live action feature film of Paddington. Major blue-chip brands including Marmite, Playstation 2, P&O Cruise ships and British Airways have all harnessed the appeal of Paddington. A dedicated consumer PR campaign, driving awareness of the 50th anniversary, has now generated over £1million equivalent media spend.

TV: Puppet animation from FilmFair 56 x 5 mins/ 3 x 30 mins. Nick Jr have UK broadcasting rights Abbey Home Media have DVD distribution rights.

Books: Over 35 million books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages across 70 titles. Paddington celebrated his 50th Anniversary in 2008.

Merchandising: Over 130 licensees worldwide across all product categories with many more coming on board celebrating the 50th anniversary in 2008.

Online: The website www.paddingtonbear.co.uk receives 1.3 million hits per month and to help celebrate the anniversary there is a bespoke website www.paddington50th.com.

Online retail shop at www.paddingtonbearshop.co.uk

Every Day is a "Big Day" with Olivia!

Olivia is today's girl! She is a 6 ¾ year old dynamo who believes she can do anything and sees every day as an opportunity to try new things. Her vivid imagination takes her on grand adventures, both real and fantasy, and like all children, her antics occasionally result in endearing misadventures. Olivia's confidence and positive nature inspires kids everywhere to think boldly and follow their dreams.

With an imagination like Olivia's, every day is infused with fantasy: a trip to the beach becomes a pirate adventure, a school science project becomes a journey to outer space, and a piano lesson becomes a world class concert. Olivia is a truly unique and contemporary character who speaks to both the princess and the adventurer in every little girl.

The OLIVIA animated series is an adaptation of Ian Falconer's popular OLIVIA picture books. First published in 2000, they have sold over 6 million copies worldwide. Ian Falconer has garnered numerous awards, including the prestigious Caldecott Award.

OLIVIA has been animated in 3D CGI by Academy Award® nominated Brown Bag Films.

Children will love Olivia's energy, boldness, humour, and imagination. Adults will respond to the show's understated wit, unique animation and the positive role model that this independent, endearing, curious and resourceful little girl represents.

TV: Commencing in 2009 - Nick Jr. (US), Five's Milkshake! (UK), TF1 (France), ABC (Australia), SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland). And more...

Books: 5 picture books (OLIVIA, OLIVIA Saves the Circus, OLIVIA... and the Missing Toy, OLIVIA Forms a Band, OLIVIA Helps with Christmas) published by Simon & Schuster. The OLIVIA books have been translated into 20 languages.

Merchandising: Developing licensed product program in all major categories

Books to play with; toys to read

The World of Eric Carle is the contemporary classic brand for infants and young children. The brand embodies the joys of playful learning and an appreciation of art and nature that generations have experienced through Eric Carle's timeless stories and unique artwork.

A legend in children's picture book publishing, Eric Carle is best-known for the classic children's picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This family favourite has sold over 29 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 47 languages. In 2009, The Very Hungry Caterpillar will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

A prolific author and artist, Eric Carle has written and illustrated more than seventy books which have sold over 88 million copies around the world.

An inspiration to three generations, a permanent installation of Eric Carle's work can be found at the The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

The World of Eric Carle brand encompasses an array of Eric Carle's vibrant artwork lifted from the pages of his bestselling books. This design-driven licensing and merchandising program draws upon Eric Carle's lessons in creativity, discovery, play and learning.

Books: Over 70 books written and illustrated; 88 million copies sold internationally; translated into 47 languages.

Merchandising: Licensed product categories signed to date include apparel, plush, toys and games, sporting goods, stationery, health and beauty, arts and crafts and giftware.

Online: Official website, www.eric-carle.com, has an average of 1.7 million hits and more than 50,000 unique visitors each month. Over 150 Eric Carle related blog entries are posted monthly.

A new deep sea adventure series

The OCTONAUTS are an intrepid band of explorers who roam the oceans in search of adventure and fun. Led by a valiant polar bear and a daredevil kitten, these eight talented critters are always ready to embark on an exciting new mission.

Whether it's a perilous voyage to the bottom of the sea or the piratey pursuit of a giant squid, the Octonauts leap into action and always prove that eight heads are better than one!

Great explorers require great vessels and the Octonauts have... the Octopod, a mobile home base that's both a vessel and a habitat. And for missions outside the Octopod? A fleet of custom-built submersibles suitable for all modes of undersea exploration.

Based upon the richly imaginative books by MEOMI, the series combines the visual appeal of 'kawaii' (Japanese cute) properties and the spirit of classic team adventures such as Star Trek and Thunderbirds. The Octonauts will transport pre-schoolers into a dazzling undersea world, full of diverse creatures and environments.

"The age of undersea exploration has just begun. Octonauts, to your stations!"

The continuing adventures of the Famous Five

Enid Blyton is one of the most successful children's authors of all time, with estimated lifetime sales in excess of 500 million units. Enid Blyton's Famous Five books began life in 1942 and have gone on to become one of the world's best-loved children's series. Twenty one original books tell the thrilling adventures of Julian, George, Dick, Anne and Timmy the dog. The classic series was voted the No. 3 Best Children's Book of All Time as part of the Booktrust poll 2008.

In 2008, the children of the Famous Five, together with Timmy II, took up the family mantle in a brand new animated TV series for children aged 7-11, Famous 5: On the Case.

A Chorion co-production with Marathon Media, France 3, Super RTL and Disney Channel Europe, this new show remains faithful to the themes of mystery and adventure central to Blyton's classic books.

TV: 26 x 22'; airing on Disney Channel (Europe), Super RTL in Germany and France 5. And more...

Books: 100 million original Famous Five books sold worldwide to date, with annual sales at 1 million. Brand new TV tie-in titles and Survival Guide also now available.

Online: Famous5.com offers games, character info and the chance to solve the new mystery contained within the Survival Guide.

It's time to have fun with Spot!

Spot first appeared in Eric Hill's award-winning original lift-the-flap book Where's Spot? in 1980 and has gone on to become an international publishing, animation and licensing success. Spot has sold over 50 million books in more than 100 countries and been translated into 65 languages, and with over 1.5 million hits per month on www.funwithspot.com the fun is sure to continue!

Every baby is amazing - especially yours!

Created in 2003, Amazing Baby is the award-winning design-led brand that is considered the first choice for many parents wanting to introduce their baby to books and reading at a very young age. Over 2 million books have been sold in the UK and, with up to 10 new titles released every year, the long- term appeal of the brand is assured.

Every little girl is a Princess

The delightful Princess Poppy stories by Janey Louise Jones tell the adventures of Poppy, an ordinary little girl who, as long as she's good, is also a special princess. First published in 2006, Princess Poppy is a publishing phenomenon and with over 1 million books already sold, is the must-have property for girls aged 4-7 years.

Horrible Histories

History with the nasty bits left in!

The best selling wicked, weird and woeful look at history, written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown. These brilliant books, first published in 1993 with sales of over 10 million copies in the UK and Commonwealth countries, reveal the terrible truth about everything from The Rotten Romans to The Terrible Tudors in gruesome detail.

Horrible Science

Science has never been so horrible!

Nick Arnold and Tony de Saulles are the award winning author/illustrator combo who bring the Horrible Science books to you in all their revolting glory - this really is science with the squishy bits left in! First published in 1996, the series of Horrible Science books have now sold over 10 million copies worldwide, been translated into 38 languages and Nick Arnold is now Britain's best-selling children's science writer. The Horrible Science books are perfectly complemented by Nick's own Horrible Science Best Bits Show that regularly tours the country - a riotous romp through everything you ever needed to know about science.

A true publishing phenomenon

Enid Blyton is one of the most successful children's authors of all time, with estimated lifetime sales in excess of 500 million units. She is an icon of children's storytelling and her name is a byword for imagination, adventure and friendship.

Her portfolio of work is extensive - she wrote close to 800 books which have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Enid Blyton's overriding aim in writing for children was to encourage them to read - and she knew just how to do it. An exuberant teacher for many years, Blyton knew that children loved thrilling stories about children like themselves, who were empowered to explore and enjoy the world around them.

She created an unrivalled group of successful and internationally renowned series which include mystery and adventure stories such as The Famous Five and The Secret Seven; school stories such as Malory Towers and St Clare's; and fantasy tales such as The Faraway Tree and The Enchanted Wood - and not forgetting the much-loved Noddy stories for younger children.

Chorion continues to build on the Blyton legacy whilst upholding the values intrinsic in her work. As well as creating new Noddy and Famous Five television content, we are also developing further stories based on some of her best-loved series, including new Wishing-Chair and Malory Towers stories, and a spin-off series based on Silky the Fairy from The Magic Faraway Tree.

Books: More than 500 million copies of her books have been sold around the world to date. 8 million Enid Blyton books sold annually.

Public Accolades: Voted the UK's Best-Loved Author in a poll for the 2008 Costa Book Awards. The Booktrust Poll 2008 named five Blyton series in their Top 50 Children's Books of All Time, with Famous Five at No. 3 and The Magic Faraway Tree at No. 7.

Best friends in Paris and beyond

Created by the prolific team of Georg Hallensleben and Anne Gutman, the Gaspard and Lisa book series now consists of over 25 titles. First published in 1999, the Gaspard and Lisa series has sold over a million copies. This Paris-based couple have captured the essence of childhood through a combination of beautiful, painterly illustrations and charming stories about the antics of two best friends. Every story gives the reader a sneak peak into the lives of children when parents aren't around. Gaspard and Lisa live in Paris with their families, co-exist with humans and animals, and have adventures both at home and abroad, always with the inevitable "catastrophe" moment that delights readers of all ages. New books launch each year and help fuel a growing licensing and merchandise franchise in Japan. Gaspard and Lisa are expanding their licensing program throughout Asia and Chorion is in production on a television show for pre-school audiences around the world.

TV: Currently in production on 52 episodes of pre-school television.

Books: Published by Hachette Livre, the Gaspard and Lisa series is sold around the world and has achieved a unique status in Japan.

Merchandising: Carefully cultivated over the last 5 years in Japan, Gaspard and Lisa is now an established brand with over 60 licensees and its own dedicated store in Yokahama. Gaspard and Lisa's core fans are young women who purchase for themselves and as gifts for other adult friends and children.

Online: Specifically designed for the Japanese market, fans can visit www.lisagas.jp to find out about the latest news and products available.

Brother and sister and best friends

Max & Ruby is based on the clever and colourful books by internationally acclaimed children's author and illustrator Rosemary Wells. The popular Max & Ruby TV series follows the hilarious, entertaining and mischievous adventures of bunny siblings Max and his older sister Ruby. Max & Ruby never, ever, want quite the same thing and their plans always collide - with hilarious results.
It is suitable for preschoolers and kids 2-5 years old and teaches preschoolers to get along while remaining true to themselves.

TV: 40 half-hours (3 x 7 minutes); Nickeoldeon and NOGGIN in the US and in the UK.

Books: First published in 1979 to critical acclaim there are over 30 classic titles published by Viking; a growing TV series-based program from Penguin launched in 2007.

Merchandising: there is an extensive merchandising program in North America.

Live: Large Format Theatrical Stage Show, produced by Theatreworks USA continues into June 2009.

Girls just can't get enough of Jacqueline Wilson!

No one knows girls better than best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson. Her stories are perfectly complemented by Nick Sharratt's distinctive illustrations which interpret the real world of tween-age girls with humour and poignancy.

Jacqueline has been the most borrowed author in British libraries for the fourth consecutive year and, with over 24 million books sold in the UK alone, the irrepressible Story of Tracy Beaker selling almost 2.5 million of these, she is an icon and heroine to girls aged 7-12.

Her books have generated an incredible response and been the inspiration for a number of television and theatre productions - The Story of Tracy Beaker being the most iconic and high-rating fixture across the BBC network.

With over 25 licensees and hundreds of products, the licensing programme is being strengthened with the gradual introduction of Jacqueline Wilson's World, a collection of characters, icons, logos and backgrounds from a number of her books. The appeal of the property will be broadened as Nintendo bring to market a highly innovative Tracy Beaker game early in 2009.

TV: Five series of The Story of Tracy Beaker on CBBC. Almost 4,000 episodes of Tracy Beaker have been screened!

Books: Nearly 25 million books sold in the UK and translated into 32 languages. The most borrowed author in UK libraries every year since 2003.

Merchandising: Jacqueline Wilson's fanbase is primarily in the UK where 25 licensees are offering hundreds of products including award- winning ceramics from Portmeirion Potteries.

Online: Jacqueline Wilson can be accessed via www.kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk

Live: Stage show productions of Tracy Beaker, Secrets and The Suitcase Kid.

'Underground, overground, Wombling free, The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we'

Written by Elisabeth Beresford and first published in 1968, The Wombles' are without doubt some of the most enduring children's characters of all time and, with green issues dominating all areas of our lives, are hugely relevant to today's society.

Living under Wimbledon Common, it is The Wombles' special responsibility to tidy up the rubbish that untidy humans leave behind and to make good use of everything that they find. Under the guidance of Great Uncle Bulgaria and Madame Cholet, Wombles including Bungo, Wellington, Tomsk, and the ever so lazy and forever hungry Orinoco, The Wombles spend their days filling their tidy bags and amusing children and adults alike with their adventures.

Television stars and a pop phenomenon since the mid 1970s, The Wombles hold a uniquely nostalgic place in the heart of the British public.

Funny, cuddly, conscientious and environmentally aware, The Wombles are truly the original green eco-heroes.

Get Wombling!

The Snowman

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without The Snowman

First published in 1978, Raymond Briggs' wondrous tale of The Snowman who comes to life and, with James, has a marvellous adventure one wintry night, is now widely considered to be the Christmas icon. A seasonal classic in both publishing and film, the magical tale is also brought to life in a popular West End theatre production.

Fungus the Bogeyman

Fungus - the original bogeyman!

Written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs and first published in 1977, Fungus the Bogeyman is one of the greatest anti-heroes ever created. A hardworking bogeyman, living deep in Bogeydom with his wife Mildew, Fungus is a witty celebration of all that is disgusting and for over 30 years, has attracted a huge cult following of children, teenagers and adults.

Having been continually in print since 1977, awareness of Fungus has been heightened through a ground-breaking animated series for television.

Anarchic, sympathetic and warm, Fungus is brilliantly and memorably witty.

Keep bogling!

Father Christmas

Just what does Father Christmas do the other 364 days of the year?

First published in 1973, Raymond Briggs' tale of Father Christmas' longest night as he prepares his sled, dons his red suit and boots and heads off on his weary bloomin' way, delivering presents near and far, is undoubtedly a seasonal classic. In 1975, Raymond then filled us in on what Father Christmas does the other 364 days of the year in the book Father Christmas Goes on Holiday.

A wonderfully grumpy animated Father Christmas is a Christmas Eve television fixture and is the perfect complement for Raymond's other festive classic, The Snowman.

In a seasonal market often tainted by exploitation, Father Christmas is warm and real.

Happy bloomin' Christmas to you, too!

Make friends with the Flower Fairies

In a large garden live the Flower Fairies and their many friends. Each Flower Fairy has a special personality and most have a job to do, but the Flower Fairies love to play - they sing, they dance and go to parties!

Cicely Mary Barker's enchanting creations are regarded as the definitive fairies and are considered to be a publishing phenomenon highlighted by A Flower Fairy Journal, Fairyopolis, remaining on the New York Times Book Review Top 10 Bestsellers' list for a total of 53 weeks!

With over 130 licensees worldwide, the highly innovative brand extension, Flower Fairies Friends, is targeting the property at the growing and demanding under- 10 market through brand new toy ranges that are in development in UK, Europe and USA.

Meticulously detailed and beautifully executed artwork, Flower Fairies Friends are simply the best fairies, not loud or brash but designed to encourage children to use their imagination.

Flower Fairies Friends - much imitated but never matched!

Books: Over 8 million books sold in the last decade and translated into 11 languages.

Merchandising: With over 130 licensees worldwide this concept appeals to both adults and children across collectable products, stationery, apparel, homewares and toys.

Online: The website www.flowerfairies.com available in English and German language. Online retail shop at www.flowerfairiesshop.co.uk

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
The art of the English countryside

Having celebrated its centenary in 2006, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, a naturalist's diary for the year 1906 in which Edith Holden recorded with words and illustrations the seasonal changes of the English countryside, continues to engage the consumer. With over 90% brand awareness in the UK, top-selling lines in Marks & Spencer and with brand new bedding from Zap, Country Diary is well placed for another 100 years.

What's your favourite Ladybird?

Originally published in 1915, millions of children all over the world have learnt to read with Ladybird Books.

The images contained in the Ladybird Archive reflect a time when on a Sunday fathers washed their cars and mothers cooked a roast. With 94% brand recognition and over 13 million books sold annually, The Ladybird Archive now has a flourishing and growing licensing programme.

Lesley Anne Ivory is a uniquely talented artist whose distinctive style features exquisitely realistic depictions of cats against richly detailed backgrounds. A prolific painter and one of the most prestigious cat painters in the world, Lesley Anne's Ivory Cats are a must for adult female cat lovers.

The Sir Winston Churchill Collection

Renowned as an incomparable statesman, a truly great British icon who was voted the 'Greatest Briton' in a nationwide poll, Sir Winston Churchill was also a highly accomplished and prolific artist. Sir Winston experimented with a variety of styles in his work, drawing on his knowledge of art history and a wide circle of artists with whom he mixed.

Forceful, vibrant, elegant and distinguished, Sir Winston Churchill's artwork is perfectly adaptable for a broad range of licensing applications.

Agatha Christie - The Queen of Crime.

"Her achievement was absolutely astonishing" PD James

The Queen of Crime wrote 80 novels and short story collections and 19 plays.

She's sold an estimated two billion copies of her works in over 70 different languages and is only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare. Awareness of Christie is universal: 97% of people surveyed in the UK, 85% in Japan, 71% in the US, 90% in Germany and 75% of under 49 year olds in France, where she is the most read author for young readers. Four million books are sold worldwide every year.

Her best-known detectives are Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy & Tuppence, and book titles such as Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile are amongst the most famous in publishing history.

Hercule Poirot, the diminutive Belgian professional detective famed for his meticulous style and judicious use of his 'little grey cells' features in Christie's first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) and appears in 37 novels and short story collections in total. He is widely recognised as one of the most popular detectives in the history of crime fiction. His powers of deduction are off-set against his almost comic eccentricity. He is obsessed with beauty, precision and symmetry in both his own immaculate attire and his environment.

Key Poirot Titles
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Peril at End House
Lord Edgware Dies
Murder on the Orient Express
Death in the Clouds
The ABC Murders
Death on the Nile
Appointment With Death
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Evil Under the Sun
Five Little Pigs
The Hollow
Cat Among the Pigeons

Miss Marple, the unobtrusive English spinster sleuth who lives in the sleepy village of St Mary Mead, is one of Agatha Christie's most endearing creations. Her frail and innocent appearance conceals a brilliant, cynical mind - she draws on her knowledge of human nature and experiences of everyday village life to solve murder mysteries that baffle the local police. She appears in 12 novels and 20 short stories in total, written over a period of 41 years, beginning with The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) and continuing to the end of Christie's writing career.

Miss Marple titles
The Murder at the Vicarage
The Body in the Library
The Moving Finger
A Murder is Announced
A Caribbean Mystery
They Do it With Mirrors
A Pocket Full of Rye
4:50 From Paddington
The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side
At Bertram's Hotel
The Thirteen Problems
Miss Marple's Final Cases
Sleeping Murder

The engaging crime solving couple from Young Adventurers Ltd, Tommy and Tuppence first meet and marry in The Secret Adversary, Christie's second novel, and age gracefully through a series of detective stories culminating in Postern of Fate.

Tommy and Tuppence titles
The Secret Adversary
Partners in Crime
N or M?
By the Pricking of my Thumbs
Postern of Fate

Agatha Christie's masterpiece And Then There Were None, remains the best-selling mystery novel of all time and sells over a 100,000 copies a year in the USA alone.

Books: 4 million books sold worldwide each year.

Merchandising: PC games, jigsaw puzzles, mugs, pencils, cushions, deckchairs and more are available at retail and online.

Stage: We license first class productions worldwide and actively oversee the hugely successful Agatha Christie Theatre Company's ongoing professional tours in the UK.

Online: The official website at www.agathachristie.com features blogs, games, downloadable content, information on Agatha Christie and every story she wrote, newsletters and a very popular forum for her fans.

Georges Simenon - The greatest psychological novelist of the 20th Century.

"The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature" André Gide

Georges Simenon wrote over 400 books, nearly 200 under various pseudonyms, including 75 wonderful Maigret novels and 28 short stories and over 100 psychological novels which he called his 'roman's durs'. His books have been translated into over 50 languages and in Italy they regularly hit the bestseller lists. It is estimated that to date 1.5 billion of his books have been sold worldwide.

Simenon deliberately restricted his books to a vocabulary of only a few thousand words to distinguish his work from the 'literary' crowd and ensure that his books were accessible to the 'petites gens', the man in the street. Nonetheless he is admired as a writer of great literature and compared to Balzac, Dostoevsky and Dickens.

A genius of the psychological crime genre, Simenon first showed his remarkable understanding of the criminal mind and human amorality in his Maigret novels. He took this psychological exploration further in his deeper 'romans durs', (the 'hard novels') which he regarded as his true literary works.

In these novels he explores man's deepest inner compulsions. He deals with the crises of ordinary life, describing alcoholism, poverty, unrequited love and lust. He writes with empathy about ordinary men who were driven to murder, suicide and delinquency by the melancholy and frustrations of their daily existence. In seeking to uncover 'l'homme nu' he writes powerful novels that make for compelling and occasionally uncomfortable reading.

Maigret is a brusque, pipe-smoking, Parisian Inspector, who works long hours at his office on the Quai des Orfèvres. He is an unusual detective, immersing himself in the life of those he hunts. The Maigret cases are not puzzles for the reader to solve; they are studies of human nature and its basest instincts. Most of Maigret's cases are set in and around Paris and Simenon's novels give us a fascinating insight into the city.

25 Maigret titles

25 KEY ROMANS DURS

The writer who defined American detective fiction.

"Raymond Chandler invented a new way of talking about America, and America has never looked the same to us since." Paul Auster

Best known as the creator of Philip Marlowe, Chandler was an Oscar nominated, double Edgar Award-winning pulp fiction writer whose work is now recognised for both its literary merit and for defining the hard-boiled school of crime fiction.

Philip Marlowe is a tough but honest detective, who likes his whisky, women, reading and chess. Fired from the DA's office for insubordination he fights against the pervasive corruption and hypocrisy at the heart of 1940s LA. He appears in a total of 8 novels and 6 short stories.

2009 is the 50th anniversary of his death and the 70th anniversary of the first publication of his first novel, The Big Sleep:

"It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, mid October, with the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills. I was wearing my powder-blue suit, with dark blue shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brogues, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars."

Philip Marlowe Novels
The Big Sleep
Farewell My Lovely
The High Window
The Lady in the Lake
The Little Sister
The Long Goodbye
Playback
Poodle Springs (finished by Robert B Parker)
Perchance to Dream (Robert B Parker)

Philip Marlowe short stories
Finger Man
Killer in the Rain
Goldfish
Red Wind
Marlowe Takes on the Syndicate
Finger Man

Other short stories
Bay City Blues
Blackmailers Don't Shoot
Bronze Door
The Curtain
The English Summer
Guns At Cyrano's
I'll Be Waiting
King in Yellow
The Lady in The Lake
The Man Who Liked Dogs
The Mandarin's Jade
Nevada Gas
No Crime in the Mountains
Pearls Are a Nuisance
Pick Up on Noon Street
Professor Bingo's Snuff
Smart-Aleck Kill
Spanish Blood
Trouble is My Business
Try The Girl

"Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light. And she has another quality, not usually associated with crime stories. Elegance." Agatha Christie

"Her own inventive energy, her own curiosity, her pace are incomparable... She turned puzzles into true drama, but with a conscious artificer's grace." A.S. Byatt

Margery Allingham was a "Golden Age" crime writer who sold more books than Agatha Christie in the 1930s. She wrote elegantly plotted love stories mixed in with threads of death and detection - surprising, satisfying puzzles with stunningly evocative descriptions of time, place and character.

Campion, her aristocratic amateur detective, features in 20 novels and 44 short stories and novellas. Uniquely, he develops and ages as a real character across the novels, allowing Allingham to reflect on the changes in English society.

The Tiger in the Smoke is in The Times' Best 100 Mysteries of the 20th Century.

Key Campion novels
Mystery Mile
Look to the Lady
Police at the Funeral
Sweet Danger
Death of a Ghost
The Case of the Late Pig
The Fashion in Shrouds
Traitor's Purse
Coroner's Pidgin
More Work for the Undertaker
The Tiger in the Smoke
Hide My Eyes
The China Governess

"Inheritor of the mantle of Simenon" Anita Brookner

"Freeling is the only British novelist of consequence to have tackled modern Europe" Grey Gowrie, Daily Telegraph

Winner of the Golden Dagger Award, Grand Prix de Roman Policier and Edgar Allen Poe Edward, Nicolas Freeling's detective novels provide astute and gritty commentary on modern Europe with a wry humour.

Freeling created two much loved detectives - Amsterdam detective Van der Valk, and the more provincial French Inspector Henri Castang but was as acclaimed for his one off thrillers.

Selected Van der Valk Novels
Love in Amsterdam
Because of the Cats
Gun Before Butter
The King of the Rainy Country
Tsing-Boum
The Widow

Selected Castang Novels
A Dressing of Diamonds
What are the Bugles Blowing for?
Lake Isle,
The Back of the North Wind,
Cold Iron,
Those in Peril,
A Dwarf Kingdom,

Other novels
Gadget
One More River
Some Day Tomorrow
The Janeites

Crispin delivers "a high-spiritedness rare and welcome in the crime story." Julian Symons

Edmund Crispin wrote a series of detective novels with improbable but entertaining plots. More Carr than Christie, his Oxford don and amateur detective Gervaise Fen has touches of the Wimsey: impatient, egotistical and brilliant. Crispin's fast-pace, literary allusions and tongue-in-cheek humour make for a witty and constantly entertaining read.

The Moving Toyshop is one of The Times best 100 crime novels of the 20th Century.

Novels
The Case of the Gilded Fly
Holy Disorders
The Moving Toyshop
The Swan Song
Buried for Pleasure
Love Lies Bleeding
Frequent Hearses
The Long Divorce
The Glimpses of the Moon,

"One of the most popular storytellers of the century." Daily Telegraph

"The greatest adventure writer of his time." The Daily Mail

Dennis Wheatley wrote over 70 fast-paced thrillers and sold over 50 million copies in his lifetime - his sales were second only to Christie in the UK and Commonwealth.

His fast-paced, irreverent and meticulously researched historical and contemporary adventure stories, explore the perennial theme of good versus evil around the world - often against a backdrop of Black Magic and always with a touch of romance.

Based on the concept of The Four Musketeers, his most famous characters are The Duc de Richleau, Richard Eaton, Simon Arun and Rex Van Ryn who appear in 11 cracking adventures including The Devil Rides Out and Strange Conflict.

"I'll get to the bottom of this even if I have to go to Hell to do it."

Duc de Richleau - Strange Conflict

Duc de Richleau novels
The Forbidden Territory (Adventure)
The Devil Rides Out (Occult/Romance)
The Golden Spaniard (Adventure)
Three Inquisitive People
Strange Conflict (Occult)
Codeword-Golden Fleece (Espionage)
The Second Seal (Historical/Espionage)
The Prisoner in the Mask (Historical/Espionage)
Vendetta in Spain (Historical/Espionage)
Dangerous Inheritance (Crime)
Gateway to Hell (Occult)

Black Magic novels
The Devil Rides Out
Strange Conflict
Gateway to Hell
They Used Dark Forces
The White Witch of the South Seas
To the Devil a Daughter
The Satanist
The Irish Witch
The Haunting of Toby Jugg
The Ka of Gifford Hillary
Unholy Crusade

Gregory Sallust novels - World War II spy thrillers
Black August (Adventure)
Contraband (Espionage)
The Scarlet Imposter (Espionage)
Faked Passports (Espionage)
The Black Baroness (Espionage/Crime)
V for Vengeance (Espionage)
Come into my Parlour (Espionage)
The Island Where Time Stands Still (Espionage)
Traitor's Gate (Espionage)
They Used Dark Forces (Espionage/Occult)
The White Witch of the South Seas (Crime/Occult)

Roger Brook novels - historical spy thrillers
The Launching of Roger Brook
The Shadow of Tyburn Tree
The Rising Storm
The Man Who Killed the King
The Dark Secret of Josephine
The Rape of Venice
The Sultan's Daughter
The Wanton Princess
Evil in a Mask
The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware
The Irish Witch
Desperate Measures

Also available to license are Dennis Wheatley's unique and innovative concepts in crime fiction: the crime dossiers, collections of physical clues and evidence, with sealed solutions. The dossiers have sold hundreds of thousands of copies around the world.