Wanderlust

23 September 2003
John Brown and Mark Ellingham invest in Wanderlust Publications Limited

NELLEN advised one of the UK’s leading travel publishing companies, Wanderlust Publications Ltd. on an investment in the company by two of the UK’s most respected publishers.

John Brown and Mark Ellingham have invested an undisclosed sum in the Company. The founders, Lyn Hughes and Paul Morrison, retain a 50% shareholding.

Wanderlust was established in 1993 by Lyn Hughes (editor) and Paul Morrison (publisher). Originally started in a spare bedroom in Windsor on a single Apple Mac, the company has grown into a £1million annual turnover operation. Its core product is the bimonthly magazine, Wanderlust, the leading specialist travel magazine in the UK.

John Brown is chairman of John Brown Citrus Publishing, although his is a personal investment in Wanderlust. Mark Ellingham is founder of leading guidebook publisher Rough Guides, now owned by Penguin Books.

Paul Morrison commented: “John and Mark share our enthusiasm for travel, and our vision of a business that continues to specialise in an exciting and changing market. Their combined experience and expertise will be an invaluable aid to the development of Wanderlust Publications into new areas and adventures. Our objective is to make Wanderlust synonymous with travel publishing, and the leading player in the field.”

Lyn Hughes expanded: "We’ve always admired both John and Mark and couldn’t think of a better partnership. We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of Wanderlust this week, so this is a great time for the partnership to be finalised. We are looking forward to becoming the leading force in travel publishing."

John Brown said: "I’ve known Paul and Lyn for some years and have watched with mounting enthusiasm as they have built Wanderlust into the first class magazine it is today. I've also discussed working with Mark on a travel magazine for some time and I am therefore delighted that this opportunity – to be part of the exciting future of Wanderlust – has arisen."

Mark Ellingham added: "Once or twice a year people approach me with an idea for a ‘Rough Guide Travel Magazine’. My response is always the same: it exists already, and it's called Wanderlust – the advertisers love it, and the readers are as faithful as the family dog. So to buy into the ‘real thing’, so to speak, along with John Brown, is a privilege."

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