Llewellyn Worldwide

Llewellyn Worldwide
Founded1901
FounderLlewellyn George
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationWoodbury, Minnesota
Distribution
  • self-distributed (US)
  • Publishers Group UK (UK)
  • Faradawn (South Africa)
  • Akasha Books & Gifts (New Zealand)[1]
  • Brumby Sunstate (Australia)[2]
Publication typesBooks
Nonfiction topicsNew Age
Official websitewww.llewellyn.com

Llewellyn Worldwide, formerly Llewellyn Publications, is a New Age[3] and occult[4] publisher based in Woodbury, Minnesota. It was founded in 1901 by the astrologist Llewellyn George (1876–1954)[5][4] in Portland, Oregon, as the Llewellyn Publishing Company.

History

Llewellyn Worldwide was formed in 1901 by the astrologist Llewellyn George (1876–1954) in Portland, Oregon, as the Llewellyn Publishing Company. With it, he founded the Portland School of Astrology.[4][6] At first the company concentrated exclusively on astrology, in the form of both books and annuals. It was at that time the leading astrology publisher in the United States. They published the works of several prominent astrologers and published the Moon Sign Book, edited by George.[4][5] The company moved to Los Angeles in 1920.[4][6] Following George's death in 1954, the Moon Sign Book was edited by Sydney Omarr.[4]

The company was bought out by a printing company and operated by Richard Juline starting in 1958,[7] before being bought out by George's relative Carl L. Weschcke in 1960. Weschcke moved the headquarters to St. Paul, Minnesota, and renamed the company Llewellyn Publications.[4][6] Under his ownership, they shifted away from astrology and began to publisher general books on the occult, including on topics related to witchcraft and Wicca.[4][6] They operated several periodicals in this period, Aquarian Age Preview, Astrology Now, Llewellyn's New Times, and Gnostica.[4] In 1970 they opened a retail bookstore in Minneapolis, Gnostica.[4][8] It closed after only a few years. That decade they also sponsored an annual New Age festival, the Aquarian Age Festival.[4]

Declines in sales in 2001 spurred the company toward layoffs and a restructure of its sales and marketing departments in 2002. By the end of 2003 the company had rebounded with $16 million in gross sales.[9] In 2001, they were described by scholar J. Gordon Melton as "one of the largest publishing and wholesaling organizations of occult, witchcraft, and magical literature in the United States".[4] Its offices were later moved to the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury.[6] They launched a mystery imprint in 2005, its first imprint, Midnight Ink.[10][11][12] A year later, Llewellyn launched its second fiction imprint, Flux Books, which was focused on young adult fiction.[13][14] Flux was sold to North Star Editions in 2016.[14] In 2018, the Midnight Ink imprint was shuttered due to low sales.[12] Sales for Llewellyn as a whole increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

References

  1. ^ International Sales
  2. ^ Our Suppliers
  3. ^ "New Age: Part I". The Monitor. November 2, 1991. p. 37. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Melton, J. Gordon, ed. (2001). Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology (5th ed.). Detroit: Gale Group. pp. 629, 927. ISBN 0-8103-9488-X.
  5. ^ a b "Publishing Firm In Existence Here 30 Years". Evening Vanguard. August 24, 1951. p. 4. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Byle, Ann (July 31, 2021). "Llewellyn Marks 120 Years of Publishing". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  7. ^ "Llewellyn Publishers Under New Direction". Evening Vanguard. August 5, 1957. p. 45. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  8. ^ "Occult--religion outside the church--growing". The Minneapolis Star. March 13, 1971. p. 9. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  9. ^ Kirch, Claire (January 12, 2004). "Llewellyn looks to the stars". Publishers Weekly. New York City.
  10. ^ Kirch, Claire (October 25, 2004). "Llewellyn Adding Mystery Imprint". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 251, no. 43. p. 12. ISSN 0000-0019. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  11. ^ Ayers, Jeff (April 1, 2005). "Mystery Goes Global". Library Journal. Vol. 130, no. 6. pp. 36–39. ISSN 0363-0277.
  12. ^ a b Kirch, Claire (October 18, 2018). "Llewellyn to Close Its Midnight Ink Fiction Imprint". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  13. ^ "BEA 2011: Around the Booths". Publishers Weekly. April 25, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Kirch, Claire (July 7, 2016). "Llewellyn Sells YA Imprint Flux to North Star Editions". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
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