Welcome to our last 2009 edition of The Bird. We're looking back on a year which has been full of achievement, commercially and creatively, but which has also presented more challenges than our industry has ever experienced. We had to withstand the impact of a global recession this year, and we've done that with Penguin's trademark commitment and creativity, but we also had to address absolutely fundamental shifts in the way readers around the world are buying and reading books. That meant taking some brave, and some very tough, decisions, especially at Penguin in London and in DK. So, for me at least, it's been a bitter-sweet year.
It's traditional for a chief executive to thank everyone in the company for their efforts as the year draws to a close, but those thanks mean more to me this year than ever. We could so easily have been thrown off course by the economy or by the lightning speed of digital change but we haven't. As I hope our results will show when we announce them publicly at the beginning of March, we've gained share of a tough worldwide market and published fantastic books to great critical claim. Those achievements, and the awards that recognised them, are scattered through this edition.
But we're also better placed than we ever have been to face an uncertain future. Our digital strategy is well developed, and globally co-ordinated, and we're taking advantage of technology not just to produce new kinds of content for new channels and devices, but also to rethink how we create, manufacture and distribute that content. Jeff Gomez has contributed a brilliant piece on digital publishing and marketing to this edition, and I hope you'll find the time to read it.
We also pay tribute in this issue to the Penguin Heroes of 2009. Everyone in the company has contributed mightily to our performance this year, but I believe that each of our Heroes has also demonstrated what makes Penguin such a special company. All around the world, and in different fields of endeavour, they have tackled challenges with extraordinary determination, originality and intelligence.
Do try to find time to read The Bird if you can. I think it will keep you interested and entertained, possibly baffled by the quiz. It will also, I hope, make you as proud to be a part of this company as I am. Thank you again for all that you have done for Penguin this year, and happy holidays to one and all.
John