'Harry Potter' Publisher Arthur A. Levine Leaves Scholastic for New Venture

The U.S. publisher of Harry Potter is moving on, but he’s leaving the famous wizard behind.

Publisher Arthur A. Levine is departing Scholastic and his namesake imprint to start a new chapter as head of his own independent publishing company.

Scholastic will continue to be the U.S. publisher of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.

“Reflecting upon the many contributions Arthur and his editorial teams have made to Scholastic’s publishing program these last twenty-three years, I am very proud of the many award-winning, bestselling, and beloved books created. We wish Arthur continued success as he builds his own independent publishing company,” says Ellie Berger, executive vice president and president of Scholastic Trade Books.

Founded in 1996, the Arthur A. Levine imprint includes more than 300 works of hardcover fiction, picture books, and nonfiction for kids and teenagers. Levine himself edits eight to ten books annually, and introduced North American audiences to the work of writers such as J. K. Rowling, Markus Zusak, Nahoko Uehashi, Daniella Carmi, Luis Sepúlveda, and Jaclyn Moriarty.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

‘Harry Potter’ Publisher Arthur A. Levine Leaves Scholastic for New Venture

About the author

James Zahn