Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group has acquired the publishing assets of Prometheus Books, Amherst, N.Y., which was founded in 1969 by Paul Kurtz, the late philosopher and the driving force behind the secular humanism movement. Prometheus, which has a list of 1,700 titles, has focused on popular science, critical thinking, philosophy, history, atheism, humanism, current events, psychology, and true crime.
Jonathan Kurtz, son of Paul Kurtz and longtime president of Prometheus Books, will continue to oversee the editorial acquisition efforts of Prometheus Books with the help of editor Jake Bonar. The trade titles published under the Prometheus Books imprint will become part of Globe Pequot, the trade division of Rowman & Littlefield. The titles published under the Humanity Books imprint will be distributed by the academic and professional division of Rowman & Littlefield. The latter are titles that Prometheus acquired from Humanities Press International.
As of June 30, sales and distribution of Prometheus Books will be handled by Rowman & Littlefield's National Book Network. Penguin Random House Publisher Services has handled sales and distribution of Prometheus Books.
Jonathan Kurtz commented: "I am very proud of what Prometheus Books has accomplished over the last 50 years. It is a privilege to enter this partnership with a distinguished publisher like Rowman & Littlefield."
Rowman & Littlefield CEO Jed Lyons said, "Jon Kurtz and his team built Prometheus Books into one of the most respected independent publishers in the nation. Its backlist of 1,700 academic and trade titles is a perfect fit for Rowman & Littlefield. We are delighted that Jon and Jake will carry on as part of our team."
Last November, in a move to return its focus to nonfiction, Prometheus Books sold its science fiction and fantasy and crime fiction imprints--Seventh Street Books and Pyr--to Start Publishing.