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Our Books, Our Business: Life at an Employee-Owned Folio

September 11, 2026

First published in Folio magazine following our move to employee ownership, this piece introduces some of the people behind our books – and offers a glimpse into the creativity, craftsmanship and character at the heart of Folio.

Folio celebrated its 75th birthday by becoming an Employee Ownership Trust. We’ve always been a company of passionate people with a single purpose: to create astonishing editions of the best books. Now, each of those individuals has a stake in Folio’s success – driving excellence to even greater heights. Meet some of Folio’s owners.

Joanna Reynolds, CEO

By becoming a business owned by its employees – an Employee Ownership Trust or EOT – Folio is leading from the front. I believe there is a strong desire around the world for businesses which take their responsibilities seriously – to customers, to their community, to the environment – and the EOT does just that. We made the move to the EOT in November 2021, and already Folio has changed. I love hearing from my colleagues about all the great ideas they have for doing things even better than before, putting customers first. There is a great affection for Folio from around the world – and from everyone from Margaret Atwood to Guillermo del Toro – but our customers are the key. For me the change in ownership was driven by the desire to keep this wonderful publisher thriving for the future.

Favourite Folio book:
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
‘I had never read it before we published it and it’s just beautifully written, with fantastic concepts that our illustrations capture perfectly.’

Urmi Dutti-Roy, Chief Financial Officer

Folio has amazing, creative people who are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable. The culture here is so important: it allows people to bring in new ideas and insights and work collaboratively. The books are pieces of art and it’s wonderful to see that journey from conception to physical product at the end. And there’s a mental shift when you own something – it drives everyone’s attitude around what needs to be done, rather than what you want to do. There’s a sense of collective responsibility. It’s also a form of democratisation; it empowers employees to be bolder. Everyone has a stake in the business and that drives them to want the business to succeed.

Favourite Folio book:
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
‘It’s great to see Folio creating books that are a wider representation of people in society.’

Andrew Wagstaff, Customer Service Manager

I only intended to stay at Folio for a month, to pay the rent while the world caught up with my incredible artistic and musical vision. For some reason, 25 years later, I am still waiting! I get the same buzz opening a book as I do when I drop a needle on vinyl. I love the culture of this place. It’s both ancient and modern: high art, popular culture, traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge design and techniques. We’re a small company with a global reach – we punch so much above our weight. But Folio works because our success is shared equally, so while Willy Wonka may have been wrong to give the keys to the chocolate factory to a competition winner and his sinister grandpa, the Folio EOT puts faith in the in-house experts who love the place and know the secret recipe. Up the Oompa-Loompas!

Favourite Folio book:
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
‘It’s a brilliant bridge between our heavyweight classics and the exciting pop culture books that top our bestseller list today – and it has truly great comic artwork.’

Dionne Crossley, Fulfilment Manager

When I joined Folio in 1987 I only intended to stay for a year – but I’m still here! Essentially my job is to ensure customer orders are fulfilled and delivered accurately, but the best part is just how varied the role is, and how much it has evolved over time. And then, of course, I get to work with all these beautiful books and all these brilliant people! I’m very organised and something of a perfectionist – I hate it when things go wrong, but if that ever happens, putting it right gives me massive satisfaction. I’ve always felt a part of the Folio Society – even more so now that we’re an EOT – and if we continue with the same energy, enthusiasm, and passion that we’ve always had, then the sky’s the limit.

Favourite Folio book:
Animal Farm by George Orwell
‘Quentin Blake’s illustrations are so incredible.’

Mandy Kirkby, Non-fiction Editor

I love the range of books that Folio publishes, and the craft involved in making a Folio book. There aren’t many publishers that work with as wide a variety of fine materials as us, and it’s exciting to be responsible for selecting and developing all the non-fiction we publish.

I love digging around in archives and asking experts what we should be looking for, what we can bring to the book that’s new, and I like it to be relevant, too. For example, we have just published Hannah Arendt’s,The Origins of Totalitarianism, a book that’s still highly relevant today. The EOT is a fantastic opportunity – it assures our independence and that means that we’ll continue to be unique and be the best at what we do.

Favourite Folio book:
A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts by Andrew Chaikin
‘It’s an incredibly visually stunning book and sets the bar very high. It exemplifies the new Folio non-fiction, and it’s an exciting place to be.’

Mark Robson, Graphic Designer

The best part of my job is all the creative material we have to work with and being part of such a dynamic team. It’s always such fun: we’re all so passionate about Folio as a brand. I design marketing materials – that includes creative photography, catalogues, leaflets, limited edition mailings, the banner designs that go on the website, and online and offline advertising. We always try to keep our designs clean with plenty of white space, making sure that the books stand out and are the heroes. My favourite was A Game of Thrones – we used dry ice and coloured lighting to create incredible images and GIFs. You’re always looking for ways to make your work even better, and I love that feeling of being challenged – I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Favourite Folio book:
Shōgun by James Clavell
‘The production is incredible: there are some wonderful black-and-white title pieces.’

Photography | © Dunja Opalko

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