Kraken Opus
| Status | Active |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Karl Fowler |
| Country of origin | Guernsey |
| Headquarters location | United Arab Emirates |
| Distribution | Opus Media Group PLC |
| Key people | Karl Fowler, Paul Murphy |
| Publication types | Books |
| Nonfiction topics | Sports teams; celebrities; arts; culture |
| Fiction genres | Definitive publications |
| Official website | https://www.thisisopus.com |
Kraken Opus is a publishing company operating from Guernsey in the Channel Islands; London, United Kingdom; and the United Arab Emirates. The company produces premium, outsized editions on subjects including sports teams[1] and celebrities,[2] and on broader topics including the Muslim hajj.[3] The company describes its publications, which are produced in limited editions retailing for up to £1m, as "works of art".[2]
Company history
The company is owned by Karl Fowler, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker.[4] He founded Kraken Opus following a period managing his own financial services company, for which he built up a client list including a number of sports stars. The interests of these clients inspired him to consider a high-end publication for sports fans;[5] he invested $5 million of his own money and of capital put up by friends and acquaintances to found Kraken Opus.[2] Its first title was the Manchester United Opus, published in 2006: the book weighed 97 pounds (44 kg) and each edition in its 10,000 run was priced between £3000 and £4500.[2][5]
In December 2008 the company opened a proprietary shop in Covent Garden.[6] The company entered voluntary administration in June 2009 when a US backer announced that a tranche of $6m in promised funding would not be forthcoming.[7] Days later, following an offer to existing shareholders, Fowler and partner Paul Murphy undertook a management buyout of the company,[8] announcing that a new Arab funder had been found at that the company's headquarters would be moved from London to the United Arab Emirates.[7] At the time the company faced criticism over the delayed publication of the £3000-per-copy Celtic Opus, which was postponed from July 2009, after pre-orders and deposits had been received.[9] The print run was also reduced, but the firm insisted that publication would still go ahead.[10]
Publications
Several of the company's publications have attracted press notice, including the Burj Dubai Opus, a 15-foot (4.6 m) tall edition of which was commissioned to stand in the lobby of the building on its opening.[11] A copy of the Manchester United Opus, auctioned for $1.5m to a Middle Eastern consortium with proceeds given to the Dubai Cares charity, was the most expensive sports book ever sold.[2][3] Wine Opus had a print run of only one hundred copies, each priced at AU£1.2m each;[12] while one hundred copies of the forthcoming Diego Maradona Opus are due to ship with samples of Maradona's blood and hair.[7] The Prince Opus was sold, in tandem with a branded iPhone model, for US$2,100.[13] Kraken Opus, in partnership with ticket vendor Ticketmaster, also produced the £109 Michael Jackson Opus, the only book licensed by the Jackson estate in the immediate aftermath of his death.[14]
Bibliography
- Bradley Wiggins
- Formula 1
- Arsenal
- Prince
- Michael Jackson
- Burj Khalifa
References
- ^ "Bokke join iconic book stable". Independent Online (South Africa. 5 August 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Waller, Martin (5 February 2009). "'This isn't all about money,' says publisher whose books command £1m price tags". The Times. London. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ a b Ghazal, Rym (8 January 2009). "Haj celebrated on film and in print". The National (UAE).
- ^ Watson, Jeremy (23 November 2008). "Weighing in at 81lbs, Celtic tome is a heavy read". Scotsman.
- ^ a b Goodman, Leah Macgrath (17 September 2007). "Showing Some Spine". Portfolio.
- ^ Pagano, Margareta (21 December 2008). "What recession? New bookshop tells a different story". The Independent.
- ^ a b c "New chapter for cash-strapped Kraken Opus". The Australian. 19 June 2009.
- ^ Fresco, Adam (18 June 2009). "The £1 million book is saved as management buys out Kraken Opus". The Times. London.
- ^ Tait, Gordon (18 June 2009). "Firm producing Celtic Opus goes bust". Scottish Sun.
- ^ Williams, Martin (18 June 2009). "Rescued publisher promises 3000 pounds Celtic book will go ahead". The Herald (Scotland).
- ^ Lieberman, Michael (20 October 2008). "Only in Dubai : The Burj Dubai Opus". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
- ^ Faulkner, Jane (3 August 2009). "Cellar Door". The Age.
- ^ Chen, Brian X (13 April 2009). "Limited-Edition Prince iPod Is Purple Lame".
- ^ Masson, Gordon (14 August 2009). "Ticketmaster enters the book business with Jackson opus". Music Week.