Hervé de La Martinière, Influential French Publisher, Passes Away at 78
Founder of La Martinière Publishing House, Hervé de La Martinière was instrumental in promoting renowned literary works and authors.
Hervé de La Martinière, the founder and former head of the La Martinière publishing house, has died at the age of 78, as announced by the publisher and Media-Participations Group in a statement.
La Martinière was notable for publishing 'La Terre vue du ciel' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in 1999, which became a global success with 3.5 million copies sold.
The house also published significant works including Jean-Paul Dubois' 'Tous les hommes n'habitent pas le monde de la même façon,' which won the Goncourt Prize in 2019.
La Martinière was involved in the publication of culinary literature as well; it was responsible for the 'Fait Maison' series of cookbooks by the chef Cyril Lignac starting in 2020.
De La Martinière began his career in publishing at the age of 25 with the Hachette Group, moving through several houses including Grasset, Fayard, and Chêne, before becoming the director of Nathan in 1987. He founded his own publishing house, Éditions de La Martinière, in 1992, focusing on illustrated and fine books.
His strategic acquisitions included the notable purchase of the New York-based Abrams Books in 1997.
In 2004, he expanded his influence by acquiring Le Seuil and its associated houses, such as Points and L'Olivier, establishing the group as a major player in the French publishing industry, controlling both distribution and dissemination of its titles.
De La Martinière was also recognized for his legal efforts against Google in 2006, challenging the unauthorized digitization of books, a case that would conclude in 2011 with a digitization agreement between parties involved.
In 2018, he integrated La Martinière into the Media-Participations Group, where he took on the role of vice-president.
He was noted for his unwavering dedication to authors, demonstrating both loyalty and friendship, and he was an advocate for literature and the preservation of bookselling and publishing principles.
La Martinière was notable for publishing 'La Terre vue du ciel' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand in 1999, which became a global success with 3.5 million copies sold.
The house also published significant works including Jean-Paul Dubois' 'Tous les hommes n'habitent pas le monde de la même façon,' which won the Goncourt Prize in 2019.
La Martinière was involved in the publication of culinary literature as well; it was responsible for the 'Fait Maison' series of cookbooks by the chef Cyril Lignac starting in 2020.
De La Martinière began his career in publishing at the age of 25 with the Hachette Group, moving through several houses including Grasset, Fayard, and Chêne, before becoming the director of Nathan in 1987. He founded his own publishing house, Éditions de La Martinière, in 1992, focusing on illustrated and fine books.
His strategic acquisitions included the notable purchase of the New York-based Abrams Books in 1997.
In 2004, he expanded his influence by acquiring Le Seuil and its associated houses, such as Points and L'Olivier, establishing the group as a major player in the French publishing industry, controlling both distribution and dissemination of its titles.
De La Martinière was also recognized for his legal efforts against Google in 2006, challenging the unauthorized digitization of books, a case that would conclude in 2011 with a digitization agreement between parties involved.
In 2018, he integrated La Martinière into the Media-Participations Group, where he took on the role of vice-president.
He was noted for his unwavering dedication to authors, demonstrating both loyalty and friendship, and he was an advocate for literature and the preservation of bookselling and publishing principles.
