End of an era for the Green family at Pantera Press following Hardie Grant buyout

Pantera, which was co-founded by novelist and philanthropist John M. Green and his daughter, social entrepreneur Ali Green, will officially become part of the Hardie Grant group from 1 October 2024.

The deal comes on the heels of a year of growth and giving for Pantera Press which saw revenue increase 25 per cent and Pantera donate $2.5 million to literacy and socio-economic programs, and more than $1 million in books to those in need.

The Melbourne-based Hardie Grant is one of Australia’s biggest independent publishers employing more than 200 people with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and San Francisco.

The company, which is reported to have annual revenue of more than $100 million, was founded in 1997 by Fiona Hardie and Sandy Grant.

Hardie Grant also operates a media division comprising digital marketing, public relations and video agencies as well as the HGX digital venture studio and investment fund.

While the purchase price has not been disclosed, Hardie Grant says the deal brings to Pantera Press a blend of “local market expertise with international reach”.

The two independent publishers are said to share a “strong alignment in their missions and values, committed to fostering creativity, supporting authors and publishing with purpose”.

“We have been aware of Pantera’s development and have often found ourselves bidding for the same authors,” says Hardie Grant’s group managing director Julie Pinkham.

“They have built a list that talks to the Australian community at many interesting levels. We can see that the backlist and some very strong new titles and authors will fit well with us and gives us the chance to build on our place in Australian publishing.

“I’d like to acknowledge Alison Green and the role she has played over the years since launching Pantera. We know just how hard that is.”

Green, the Pantera Press CEO, established Pantera Press with her father in a bid to “make a real difference in Australian writing culture”. Their mission was to provide an alternative for debut Australian authors that larger multinational publishers avoided in favour of “sure bets - their already best-selling authors”.

“Our philosophy was very much about nurturing new Australian voices, and to building the brands of the talented Australian writers who might have been considered too high-risk for other publishers with traditional infrastructure,” Green says in a blog.

 “At the time, our concept was laughable – none of us had any operational book publishing experience. On top of that, the idea of a social purpose company was a relatively new one in a very traditional industry. But we had vision and passion in spades, and we were determined to make our mark.”

The acquisition by Hardie Grant will see Green leave the business, with the existing team to be relocated to Hardie Grant’s Ultimo office in Sydney.

Lex Hirst, Pantera’s long-time publishing director, will continue to drive the Pantera imprint and report to Roxy Ryan, the managing director of Hardie Grant Books.

In the wake of the acquisition, Green has described her time at Pantera as “an incredible journey, marked by growth, innovation, and the privilege of bringing remarkable stories to the world”.

“When we founded Pantera Press, we could only dream it might achieve the impact it has,” she says.

“We are immensely proud of what Pantera and our fantastic team have achieved.

“We’re confident that, with Hardie Grant’s scale, resources and expertise behind it, Pantera Press will reach new heights for its next chapter.

“The Green family is stepping away, but we will continue to celebrate Pantera’s and Hardie Grant’s successes from afar.”

After 16 years as co-founder and CEO of Pantera Press, Green plans to take some “well-deserved time to recharge”, indulging her passion for food and travel by reviewing restaurants and hotels through her Instagram account.

She plans to continue in her impactful role as deputy chair of Story Factory, a not-for-profit creative writing centre for young people in under-resourced communities across NSW.

Green, who also plans to dedicate time to mentoring the next generation of young leaders, adds that she will be open to future opportunities that can leverage her expertise.