About Atria Books
Atria Books was launched in April 2002 by publisher Judith Curr as a new hardcover and paperback imprint within Simon & Schuster, Inc. The name Atria (the plural of atrium—a central living space open to the air and sky) reflects our goals as publishers: to create an environment that is always open to new ideas and where our authors and their books can flourish. We look for innovative ways to connect writers and readers, integrating the best practices of traditional publishing with the latest innovations in the digital world. We are committed to publishing a wide range of fiction and nonfiction for readers of all tastes and interests.
The first book published under the Atria name, The Right Words at the Right Time by Marlo Thomas, became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, and since then Atria has gone on to publish more than 185 New York Times bestsellers. Atria is the publishing home to many major bestselling authors including The Dalai Lama, Jude Deveraux, Vince Flynn, T.D. Jakes, Shirley MacLaine, Kate Morton, Jodi Picoult, Sister Souljah, Brad Thor, Jennifer Weiner, Lauren Weisberger, Zane, and Rhonda Byrne—author of the international bestsellers The Secret and The Power.
In recent years, the imprint has placed a strategic emphasis on publishing for diverse audiences through the acquisition of the African American-oriented press Strebor Books, the launch of Atria Books Español, and co-publishing agreements with Beyond Words Publishers and Cash Money Records. Atria Books also publishes literary fiction and topical nonfiction in trade paperback under the Washington Square Press imprint, and popular fiction and nonfiction under the Emily Bestler Books imprint, launched in 2011.
Atria—books that entertain and enlighten.
About the Atria Books Colophon (courtesy of Iskra Design)
When Simon & Schuster launched a new publishing division, they needed a mark to represent its name, "Atria." The word comes from atrium, which means a Roman courtyard, often the center of the house. The mark had to be compact enough to fit on the spine of a book and imply both the literal and abstract associations of the word. Using the initial A as an expressive vehicle, we explored ideas including architecture, dynamic motion, light, and centrality, as well as the seemingly opposite qualities of institutional solidity and casual, popular appeal.
The final logo solution is a formal architectural A which also becomes a book placed with its spine up. It suggests both the mental space of reading and the physical architecture of the publishing house viewed through an inviting open door.
Atria Catalog Covers: The First Decade
