WALKER BOOKS LIMITED

1. WALKER BOOKS LIMITED 1980-12-31 → present
2. SEBASTIAN WALKER ASSOCIATES LIMITED 1978-07-14 → 1980-12-31

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Consolidated group

Auditor

Blick Rothenberg Audit LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“After making enquiries, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the group and company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence and meet its liabilities as they fall due for the foreseeable future, being a period of at least twelve months from the date these financial statements were approved. As disclosed in note 17 the group has a committed facility of £15m available until 2027 of which approximately £12.8m is available for drawdown at the reporting date which can fund working capital requirements were it to be necessary. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.”

Group structure

1. WALKER BOOKS LIMITED · parent
   1. Walker Books (Editorial) Limited 100% · England · Editorial services
   2. Walker Books Trustee Limited 100% · England · Dormant
   3. Walker Productions Limited 100% · England · Television production and intellectual property
   4. Candlewick Press Inc. 100% · USA · Book publishers
   5. Walker Books Australia PTY Limited 100% · Australia · Book publishers
   6. Walker Books New Zealand Limited 100% · New Zealand · Book publishers

Significant events

• “2024 was a challenging year for the Group, driven by market headwinds in most of our key global markets, especially the United States. We took action to reduce costs over the course of the year, leading to some one-time exceptional costs and a reduction in recurring operating costs going forward.”
• “Following key leadership and strategic changes beginning in earnest in 2023, we will begin to see a stronger, more focused publishing program beginning in 2026 and a more resilient business. This coincides with the exciting releases of TV, film and merchandise opportunities to further diversify and benefit the Group and its creators.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

8

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

2

last 12 months

Officers resigned

2

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  -7.8%

  £82,470,000 → £76,063,000

• Cash

  -35.9%

  £8,573,000 → £5,499,000

  lowest in 3 filed years

• Net assets

  -4.6%

  £40,893,000 → £39,012,000

  lowest in 3 filed years

• Employees

  -0.7%

  299 → 297

• Operating profit

  -318.1%

  £431,000 → -£940,000

• Profit before tax

  -5,733.3%

  -£21,000 → -£1,225,000

• Wages

  +2.8%

  £18,186,000 → £18,702,000

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers