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Bloomsbury Publishing has bought John Wisden & Co, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in a move aimed at increasing its footprint in reference and sport publishing. Bloomsbury did not disclose the fee, saying that the transaction was "not material" to the group.
John Wisden was bought by the late Sir Paul Getty in 1993 and, since his death in 2003, has been owned by his son Mark.
The sale reunites Britain's two most distinguished almanacks, Whitaker's and Wisden. From 1938 to 1943 J Whitaker and Sons published Wisden and during the war a member of the family, Haddon Whitaker, took over as editor.
Nigel Newton, chief executive of Bloomsbury, said: "Acquiring Wisden is a landmark event in the history of the company and an important step in our strategy to increase our presence in reference and sport publishing. It is an honour to be the new custodians of such an institution. We look forward to working with the current staff to make the 2009 Wisden a success."