Nick Hern Books is a London-based independent specialist publisher of plays, theatre books and screenplays. The company was founded by the former Methuen drama editor Nicholas Hern in 1988.
History
Nick Hern Books came into being in June 1988, when Nick Hern left Methuen to set up his own imprint under the aegis of Walker Books. In 1990 the NHB imprint was taken on by Random House. It became a fully independent company on 1 January 1993 when Nick Hern acquired the list from Random House, and he subsequently won the Sunday Times "Small Publisher of the Year Award" in 1994.
Notable titles published by Nick Hern Books include the following plays:
Angels in America by Tony Kushner – Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 1993; Evening Standard Best Play Award, 1992. Adapted into a successful TV series for HBO, 2003.
Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth – Evening Standard Best Play Award, 2009; Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, 2009; Whatsonstage.com Award for Best New Play, 2010.
Mojo by Jez Butterworth – Olivier Award for Best Comedy, 1996.
The Weir by Conor McPherson – Olivier Award for Play of the Year, 1999; Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, 1997; Critics Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, 1997.
Nick Hern Books launched its Drama Classics series in 1994 with the aim of creating a budget series of “the most well-known plays from the last 2000 years”, in editions that are suitable for study as well as performance. The first six titles, all published in 1994, were Three Sisters, Medea, The Rivals, The Jew of Malta, The Hypochondriac and A Doll’s House. The series now ranges from The Oresteia to Blood Wedding.
Shakespeare folios
This series of editions of Shakespeare’s works, edited by Nick de Somogyi, was launched in 2001 with an edition of Hamlet. The series aims to offer the absolute authority of the First Folio in an accessible form. On the recto page, the full text of the 1623 First Folio version of each play is presented in modern type, without altering or editing the text itself. All of the original spelling, punctuation and layout of the Folio is preserved. On the verso page, there is a fully modernised version of the corresponding text, enabling direct comparison with the Folio. Each edition also includes an individual introduction and textual notes.
Shooting scripts
Nick Hern Books also publishes a selection of shooting scripts from popular films. In addition to featuring the complete shooting script as used by the director during filming, these also include forewords and introductions by leading film directors and screenwriters, the dialogue of scenes cut during the editing process, colour photo sections, and complete cast and crew credits. Screenplays published by Nick Hern Books include:
The Truman Show by Andrew Niccol – BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, 1999
Performing rights
Nick Hern Books handles performing rights for most of the plays it publishes, issuing licenses for amateur performance both within the United Kingdom and abroad, through its worldwide partners, including Dominie Drama in Australia, Play Bureau in New Zealand and DALRO in South Africa.
