TORONTO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harlequin, a leading publisher of commercial fiction and narrative nonfiction, is celebrating 75 years of romance. To date, the brand has published 40,000 happily-ever-afters—and counting. That’s 12,098 stories featuring rugged Western beaus, 11,576 long-lost lovers reunited, nearly 9,000 billionaires charmed and so much more.
This summer they’re debuting a celebratory Harlequin Historical Timeline in addition to the special release of their 75th Anniversary Collection, featuring a variety of the brand’s popular titles, which pair New York Times bestselling authors, such as Diana Palmer and Heather Graham, with new voices and established authors. These legendary authors returned to their Harlequin roots to celebrate this milestone and help ring in a new era for the brand, so both new and existing readers can experience a happily-ever-after from the Harlequin 75th Anniversary Collection starting this month. New readers are also encouraged to visit TryHarlequin.com, where they can take a quiz that will match them with a personalized Harlequin recommendation to try out for free.
“This year calls for celebration and we can’t think of a better way to do so than by welcoming new entrants to the genre while honoring our longtime, loyal fans,” said Craig Swinwood, Publisher and CEO, Harlequin. “Since the release of Harlequin’s first romance novel, The Manatee, by Nancy Bruff, published in May 1949, we have grown our presence into a score of imprints and romance lines focused on meeting our romance readers where they are today. The genre continues to evolve, and Harlequin is committed to delivering timeless romances that keep pace with the modern world we live in.”
As part of the 75th anniversary celebration, Harlequin is also launching a new campaign, The People’s Romance, which honors the fans, authors and books that have made the brand a leading romance expert. The campaign is a celebration of the fans who share Harlequin’s passion for romance and have poured their hearts and souls into the genre over the years. The campaign officially kicks off this summer with content being deployed across Harlequin’s channels on TikTok and YouTube as well as coffee shop takeovers in Phoenix, Arizona.
While so much has changed and evolved over the past seven decades, Harlequin’s love of romance has remained unwavering. Earlier this year, the brand unveiled a bold new look and publishing evolution, including format diversification, program expansions and packaging refreshes—showcasing the brand’s continued growth and transformation to meet the needs and desires of devoted romance fans. Through continuously evolving storytelling and relentless pursuits to represent a broader range of diverse voices, Harlequin continues to champion the romance genre and support both new and established romance fans alike.
About Harlequin
Harlequin is a leading publisher of fiction and narrative nonfiction and in 2024 will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. Harlequin is unique in the publishing world as a destination brand for romance novels, with 65% of readers thinking of Harlequin first when they think of romance novels. The company publishes more than 100 titles a month, in both print and digital formats, that are sold around the world. Encompassing highly recognizable imprints that span a broad range of genres, the publisher is home to many award-winning New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authors. Harlequin is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, the second-largest consumer book publisher globally, with operations in 15 countries and 16 languages. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com and WriteforHarlequin.com. Follow Harlequin on Facebook: @HarlequinBooks, X: @HarlequinBooks, Instagram: @HarlequinBooks, and on TikTok: @HarlequinBooks.
