About

David and Charles is an independent publishing company and provider of online learning courses. We support creative people to develop their skills in arts and crafts. Our books are beautifully designed, with a focus on high quality, clear step-by-step instructions. Whether you need a complete guide to learn a new hobby from scratch, or a project book to understand a new trend or technique, we are likely to have the book for you.

Our brand was founded over 60 years ago on 1st April 1960 by David St John Thomas and Charles Hadfield in Newton Abbot, Devon. It became synonymous with books on Britain’s canals and railways and quickly became a leader in illustrated non-fiction, publishing across numerous categories.

The ownership of the company has changed several times over the years. In July 2019, the current management team completed a buy-out of the business from the American company, F+W Media. David and Charles are now based in Exeter, Devon.

We have a long standing relationship to distribute books from Dover Publications and a more recent partnership with Exisle Publishing. We distribute both of these imprints exclusively in the UK and on a non-exclusive basis in Europe.

You can find out more about our books here, and our online courses with our partners here. Any current vacancies with us are advertised here. To get in touch with the team and for general enquiries, please click here.

Thanks for reading about us, and reading with us. 

David & Charles.