What Barrington Stoke does

Barrington Stoke is a UK-based specialist book publisher producing dyslexia-friendly fiction and non-fiction for children and reluctant readers. Founded circa 1998 and headquartered in Glasgow as a division of Collins/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd (itself part of News Corp), the company operates a catalogue of short novels, historical fiction, and adapted classics by award-winning UK authors. Its core technology is physical rather than digital: every title is engineered for accessibility through a specially designed dyslexia-friendly font, tinted paper stock that reduces visual stress, and carefully edited language and page layout calibrated to specific reading levels.

The company sells primarily through one-time paperback purchases priced between £7.99 and £8.99, with no subscription model. Distribution operates across three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via the Collins storefront (collins.co.uk), wholesale to UK booksellers, and direct outreach to schools and libraries supported by downloadable catalogues and sales representatives. Marketing targets four distinct buyer personas: dyslexic children and reluctant readers as end-users, plus teachers, librarians, and parents/carers as purchasing decision-makers. Barrington Stoke is wholly owned by HarperCollins following its 2018 acquisition and operates with an 11-50 employee band; no separate revenue, funding, or headcount disclosures are publicly available.

Name

Barrington Stoke

Legal name

Barrington Stoke

Website

https://barringtonstoke.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barrington Stoke is a UK children's book publisher producing dyslexia-friendly fiction and non-fiction with tinted paper, specialist fonts, and edited layouts. It operates as a division of HarperCollins, selling paperbacks to parents, schools, libraries, and booksellers across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Early Readers & Chapter Books Publishing (MPAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC), Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Dyslexia-friendly publishing
• Children's fiction
• Accessible book design
• Reluctant readers
• Educational publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: One-time purchase model for paperback books sold directly to consumers, schools, libraries, and booksellers. Individual titles priced at retail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Barrington Stoke publishes award-winning short novels and other books for children, specifically designed with accessibility features such as tinted paper, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and carefully edited language and layout to support dyslexic and reluctant readers. The portfolio includes standalone titles, the Tom Palmer World War historical fiction series, and a Dyslexia-friendly Plays series adapting Shakespeare (e.g., Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello). Books are sold as individual paperback titles through the Collins e-commerce store, wholesale to booksellers, and direct to schools and libraries.

Product overview

Barrington Stoke is a book publishing company that produces a unified portfolio of dyslexia-friendly books for children, comprising short novels, historical fiction, and adapted classics. The core offering is the dyslexia-friendly books line, which includes specialized sub-collections such as the Tom Palmer World War Novels series and the Dyslexia-friendly Plays Series (Shakespeare adaptations). All products share accessibility design features including tinted paper, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and carefully edited language. The company operates as a children's book publisher under the Collins/HarperCollins umbrella, with over 25 years of experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dyslexia-Friendly Children's Books Award-winning short novels and books for children, specifically designed with accessibility features including tinted paper, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and carefully edited language and layout to support dyslexic and reluctant readers. Sold as individual paperback titles to parents, schools, libraries, and booksellers.
• Dyslexia-friendly Plays Series Shakespeare plays adapted in dyslexia-friendly editions, including Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Othello, designed to make classic literature accessible to young readers with dyslexia.
• Tom Palmer World War Novels Bestselling and multi-award-winning accessible historical fiction novels by Tom Palmer covering World War themes, including D-Day Dog, Arctic Star, Armistice Runner, After the War, and Resist.
• Barrington Stoke Book Catalogues Downloadable and viewable catalogues providing information on the whole range of Barrington Stoke publications for educators, parents, and booksellers.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HarperCollins Publishers LtdcoreOthersBarrington Stoke is a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. HarperCollins is the parent company providing corporate infrastructure, distribution networks, and publishing expertise. The Collins brand serves as the retail and distribution arm for Barrington Stoke products.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oxford University Press Children's: Educational publisher producing reading schemes and children's trade titles widely adopted across UK schools. Competes for curriculum-linked school purchasing and library budgets.
• Scholastic: Global children's book publisher and education company producing fiction, non-fiction, and educational materials across school, library, and retail channels. A broad incumbent with overlapping school and library distribution that competes for the same institutional purchasing budgets.
• Hachette Children's Group: UK division of Hachette Livre publishing children's fiction and non-fiction titles across imprints such as Orion and Hodder. Larger incumbent with comparable UK trade, school, and library distribution reach.
• Penguin Random House Children's UK: Major children's publishing imprint within Penguin Random House, covering trade fiction, classics, and educational titles. A broad incumbent with deep UK and global distribution that competes for shelf space, school lists, and library acquisitions.

Direct peers

• Walker Books: UK-based children's book publisher with a strong catalogue of illustrated and fiction titles for young readers. Operates in overlapping school, library, and retail channels within the UK children's trade market.
• Usborne Publishing: UK-based independent children's book publisher producing a broad range of fiction and non-fiction titles for young readers. Direct competitor to Barrington Stoke in the UK children's trade market, sharing retailers, schools, and libraries as channels, though without the dyslexia-specialist focus.
• Nosy Crow: Independent UK children's book publisher producing illustrated fiction and non-fiction for all ages. Competes with Barrington Stoke in the UK children's trade and educational channels, including school and library supply.

Emerging players

• Saddleback Educational Publishing: US publisher specialising in accessible, high-interest low-vocabulary books for reluctant readers and students with reading difficulties. Direct functional peer in producing books designed for dyslexic and struggling readers.
• Orca Book Publishers: Canadian independent publisher with a 'Hi-Lo' (High Interest, Low Reading Level) and 'Rapid Reads' line targeted at reluctant and struggling readers. Comparable focus on accessible reading formats for dyslexic and reluctant audiences.
• Blue Door Education: UK educational publisher producing dyslexia-friendly and SEND-focused reading materials for schools. Closest specialist peer to Barrington Stoke's accessibility-first proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/collinsbooks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/collinsbooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/collinsbooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barrington-stoke-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/collinsbooks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barrington Stoke